Dragon Curse
by Nintendo Nut1
Summary: Roy's dragon knowledge will be put to the test when a new Smasher comes to SSB, cursed with the blood of a dark dragon. Will he be able to help the troubled angel? Third installment of the Dragon series, introducing Pit!
1. A Developed HalfDragon

A/N: OKAY, GUYS! SEQUEL TIME! ARE YOU ALL PSYCHED?

Roy: WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Eliwood: HOORAAAAAYYY!

Link: ...hoo-ah.

Eliwood: ...any progress on the personality switch machine or whatever?

It's coming along. :)

Link: ...(becomes very, VERY frightened)

Let's begin! Tis part 3 of the Dragon series! Hooray! Tis a long chapter... Oh, yeah, and I changed the scientific name for half-dragon, as you'll notice. I forgot magnus meant great. XD My bad! Thanks to Ri2 for the correction!

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**Dragon Curse**

Chapter 1: A Developed Half-Dragon

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_**Half-dragons** are human beings infused with dragon blood (the usual type comes from the European dragon, _Draco occidentalis magnus_) at birth by the Dragon Gods. Their purpose is to protect the few dragons remaining in ways dragonologists and even ... wizards could never do..._

_Demetrius, Homo draconis, 1561_

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One of these said half-dragons was lying in slumber in his room, resting his physically drain body in his soft bed, blankets cast aside and not needed. Just as he had fully recovered, the first thing he awoke to, before even opening his eyes, was heavy rocking.

"Come on, wake up, sleepyhead!"

"Link, cut it out! He'll wake up on his own!"

He felt himself smile at the familiar voices around him, groaning tiredly to announce his awakening. Yawning, he finally opened his eyes of fresh blue to look upon a blonde elf smirking proudly at a cobalt prince.

"See, Marth? I woke him up!"

"Whatever, total coincidence." The prince gave him a welcoming smile. "Welcome back, Roy."

"Mmm," Roy mumbled a greeting, heaving himself up into a sitting position, stretching and brushing some loose strands of his red hair out of his face. "How long this time?"

"Only a couple hours. You're adapting to this transformation stuff pretty well."

"Yes!" The redhead clenched a fist in triumph, then winced slightly and rubbed his wrist gingerly.

"...But then again, maybe your body needs a bit more."

"Hmmp, just an after-effect, nothing serious," Roy waved it off, cringing again at his wrist. "...But a bit more rest wouldn't hurt." And then a light grumble dragged his gaze down to his stomach. "...I'm hungry."

Marth chuckled as Link commented wily, "Ah, the Three Stages of Roy-dom: Denial, Realization, and Hunger."

Roy pouted inwardly. "Seriously, you guys, I'm starving."

"We know. We thought ahead," the Hylian grinned as the two presented a sub sandwich, still warm and fresh.

The Pherean blinked, then laughed. "Man, you guys know me too well." They gave him hearty smiles as he took the sandwich into his hands. "So, how is she?"

"She's nice and cozy," Marth replied. "As you know, she's only staying a couple days."

"That's fine." He took a vicious bite that reflected his appetite. "Whatever suits her best."

The Alteanian nodded. "Well, then, I think it's about time we got _ourselves_ something to eat."

Roy paused in the middle of his second bite and eyed them dubiously. "...So, you went through the trouble to make me this, but you didn't think to grab your own grub?"

"Hey, we were _trying_ to be a little selfless, alright?" Link snapped jokingly.

Marth pushed him off towards the door with slight protest, following. "It just didn't occur to us at the time, that's all. Get your rest, and we'll see you in a bit."

The half-dragon smiled at the obvious signs of compassion in that gesture, nodding. "Alright."

"See ya!" Link managed a tiny departing salute before they shoved themselves out into the hallways.

Left alone, Roy crunched into his meal, staring aimlessly at the ivory white walls. His gaze trailed the crevices between wall and ceiling until he reached the window, facing north and providing a perfect view of wilderness outside. A miniature mountain range of beige rock formations rose above a thicket of woodland trees, and if one looked closely enough, they could see the gaping mouth of a cave within the stony folds. However, it was an easy target for the standard greedy poacher, and it had become his sacred duty to watch over it, especially when it was occupied, which it currently was.

His eating pace slowed considerably as he reviewed his first wild encounter since he had been given this task, which only occurred hours before.

_And it began at a large print in the dirt within the woods. Roy traced his finger along its shape, observing it closely with his two chums right beside him._

_"Hmm... Three toes, wide, full heel... European, alright." He glanced up at the path cleared before them, splintered trees and flattened branches curving and seeming to form walls. "And a big one, too."_

_"Huh." Marth ran a hand through his blue locks thoughtfully, but also with well-concealed anxiety. "...Maybe it's be smart to clear out some of these trees for landing."_

_"Yeah, I thought it would just land **at** the cave," Roy grinned sheepishly. "Guess I have a lot to learn."_

_"So, we're really gonna see a wild dragon that time? **Seriously?**" Link could barely contain his excitement as he held a heavy burlap bag over his shoulder._

_"Yeah, but you guys **seriously** have to take extreme caution," Roy warned sternly. "This is a **wild** dragon we're dealing with, so we don't know what'll happen."_

_Marth made a small grimace of terror, whereas, in great contrast, Link grinned widely in anticipation. Despite these contradicting viewpoints, they both nodded._

_"Alright." He motioned for them to get moving with a finger. "Stick close behind me and keep quiet."_

_They moved through the obvious pathway, stepping over fallen trees and ratted branches and reeds with the utmost of care. The other two gazed around, either excitedly or warily, whereas Roy's eyes were fixed ahead, determined to at last carry out his destined mission. _

_At last, they came to the head of the cave, and Roy quickly gestured for them to stop and conceal themselves behind a group of rocks not too far away. An utter, natural silence filled the air, undisturbed and just as it was meant to be. Link stared at the gaping hole, almost spellbound, while Marth was near trembling, the silence working a number on his nerves._

_Wordlessly, Roy pointed to the bag, keeping his gaze on the cave. Getting no response, he turned to Link's wavering attention span, snapped his fingers until the elf turned his away, and urgently gestured towards the bag. Link jumped, then reached in and produced a large lamp chop, thick and tender with meat juice. Roy took it and motioned for them to stay put, then bravely stepped out into the open._

_The mamkute moved to the mouth of the cave, holding the meat before him as he spoke in Dragon Tongue, "_Dragon, we mean no harm. My friends and I are here to protect you. We only ask for your trust._"_

_A heavy silence followed in response, the observers' eyes glued to Roy, waiting for whatever came next. At last, there was a leathery sound, scraping against rock, then a slight rumble from within, announcing a great creature's presence. Roy slowly looked up and gawked in absolute awe as a grand dragon stepped out into the sun, the light reflecting off its blue scales and making it shine silver. Its bat-like wings were folded along its stomach, spinities lining its spine and recessing down to its arrowhead tail. Its gargantuan clawed talons grinded into the rock almost tentatively, its earflaps extended and golden eyes narrowed in cautious suspicion. The small horns, as well as the shape of the lean snout, indicated the dragon's gender as female. This was it. The real deal. An actual European dragon. A true _Draco occidentalis magnus

_Roy focused all his concentration in keeping his shaky knees from collapsing. As a result, the most dumb gape was left on his face, eyes wide as saucers. He barely flinched when the dragon leaned forward to sniff the meat in his hands, then snapped it into her mouth with her serpentine tongue. After chomping on it and swallowing, she continued the stare at the measly little human before her, curious as to why he hadn't head for the hills yet._

_She lowered her head until her and the human were at eye level, then asked, in perfect English, "...Who are you?"_

_For a second, Roy's mouth refused to work properly, his lips clearly moving to form words, but no sound came out._

_The dragon arched a nonexistent brow._

_"Um, uh..." Finally, Roy sighed, getting himself under control. "Okay... My name is Roy. I'm a half-dragon, so... I'm here to watch over you."_

_The dragon grew more interested. "Roy, is it? Hmm... How do I know whether to believe you or not?"_

_Roy blinked, not expecting that. "Um... you just have to trust me."_

_The dragon snorted. "I don't believe you."_

_Roy winced, not knowing what to do to convince her. Before he could defend himself, the bolder of his two friends leaped up to do the defending for him. _

_"Hey, you can't say that!" Link bellowed, shaking a fist. "He's the real deal!"_

_"LINK! Get DOWN, NOW!" Roy hollered, but the dragon had already released her flame breath in his direction. The elf ducked, and the fires blasted the protective rock away, revealing his and Marth's hiding spot. The two cried out in terror as the dragon advanced towards them, ready to cook them for sure this time, but Roy would not allow it. Not during his first time, anyways._

_Just before the dragon released its second attack, the half-dragon rushed in front of them, holding out his hand. The blaze halted just before the hand, being pushed away by an unseen force. Controlling it took much of Roy's power, as his arm began to tremble and he began to sweat with effort, not to mention from the intense ball of heat inches before him. At last, he took his other hand, with his own fireball at ready, and swiped it across, canceling out the dragon's flame with his own._

_The dragon was slightly surprised, staring down at this odd boy, who breathed in and out heavily, yet his determined gaze fixed on her. She then noticed the other two and scowled. "And who exactly are **they**?"_

_"They're my friends," he wheezed. "They're not gonna hurt you, I promise."_

_"Hmmp. A half-dragon with **human** friends? That's...!" She paused, hesitant, then pressed forward, "I still don't believe you."_

_"Oh, come ON!" Link exclaimed. "He just **controlled your flame**! What more proof do you friggen' need?"_

_"Link, shut up already!" Marth hissed. "You got us into enough trouble!"_

_They both stopped at Roy's outstretched arm, his face calm. "Stand back. I know how to convince her."_

_Baffled, they did as they were told. The dragon herself grew puzzled as to what he would do, and then he collapsed to the ground before her, grunting in severe pain. His form began to grow and snake, his clothing stretching and melding into his skin, hardening into his own set of blue scales. His clenched hands snapped open with mighty claws, his shoes melting into fierce talons. A great tail curved its way out, violet-and-red wings erupting from his back, stretching to their full, majestic length. As the transformation ended, they folded at the sides of the new dragon, one with a rounder, cuter snout and an unruly mop of chestnut red hair. Its reptilian eyes, still bright cerulean, locked with the other's, golden orbs wide with shock._

_"...Is this proof enough?" he asked softly._

_The female dragon now had no more doubts, and her harsh exterior slowly faded. Strangely, she had suddenly become quite a gorgeous creature. "...I see. So... you truly are... him? The one who defeated Jasper?"_

_Roy smiled. "That's me."_

_She glanced down at the other two, who flinched upon reflex. "Yes, that's right, the only half-dragon with human companions, and I suppose that would be you two." Guessing, she pointed to each one with her tail. "...Marth... and Link, am I right?"_

_"Actually, Link and Marth," the Hylian corrected accordingly, grinning widely. Marth sighed, relaxing as trust was established and the danger was over. _

_"Of course. I call myself Silverwing," she introduced herself, turning back to Roy. "I apologize for my caution. I've been... tricked before." She lifted her wing, revealing a tearing scar in her side._

_Roy grimaced, then sighed regrettably. "...I'm sorry."_

_She lowered it and continued. "So... Am I your first dragon?"_

_Roy chuckled nervously. "Yeah, first non-domestic one, anyways."_

_"I figured as much. You have much to learn."_

_The mamkute lowered his gaze. "...I know."_

_"Don't worry, you know much already," Silverwing encouraged. "You had a decent approach, and you knew how to confront me when was agitated. Though I'd suggest teaching your friends to stay hidden."_

_"Tell that to **him**!" Marth replied irritably, smacking Link upside the head hard. _

_"OW!"_

_"And besides, we aren't defenseless." She bore her gaze into his. "What is your reason for needing to protect a dragon you don't even know?"_

_Roy paused. Another question he did not expect. But here he had a confident answer. "Because, this area could be a hot spot for poachers, with all the attention from the Jasper incident, so I don't wanna take any chances with any dragons that settle here."_

_Silverwing beamed. "Good answer. Compassion and foresight work well together. Anything else?"_

_"Well, uh... oh, we should trim the damaged trees and wipe out your prints to remove any clues of your presence, while also...!"_

_"Okay, alright, yes," Silverwing interrupted, obviously satisfied. "You can hold that off until I'm gone. I'm only staying for a few days."_

_"Really? Are you being chased?"_

_"No, but my destination is southwest, and I lost precious time in a sea storm crossing the Atlantic. I only need some rest, then I'll be on my way."_

_"Ah, okay... Well, we should be getting back to Mansion nearby. Call out if you need anything."_

_"Of course."_

_And as he triggered his transformation again, he had run out of energy and passed out the second he was human again..._

By now it was dusk, so it seemed like more time had passed since then. Finished with his meal, Roy shakily got to his feet and approached the window, gazing out almost... sadly. He remembered what she said, before their trust was shaped: "A half-dragon with _human_ friends? That's..." He was almost afraid of how she was intending to end that bitter statement.

Was there really so much distrust between humans and dragons? If so, could anything be done to heal those old wounds? Maybe that was his other purpose: to bring those of his mixed blood together and soothe the anger between the two species.

...Or maybe that was just an idealistic dream way too far out of his reach.

"Hey, you." Roy was snapped from his thoughts and turned towards the door, where Link poked in from the side. "Marth told me to remind you to get your rest and that a new Smasher's coming in tomorrow."

Roy gawked. "...You _can't_ be serious."

"I'm-a _dead_ serious."

"MAN! No one tells me ANYTHING ANYMORE!"

"Sucks to be you!" Link laughed, dodging a thrown pillow and rushing back into the hallway.

Roy growled in frustration, plopping back into his bed and sulking for no particular reason. He stared at the ceiling for a while until his body demanded more rest, and he shut his eyes and went into his blissful, dreamy sleep.

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A/N: W00t! First chapter!

Roy: Hooray! (does a dance)

Eliwood: Hey... where's the new guy?

Link: Here's not _here_ yet. This is the intro chapter to catch everyone up.

Right on. The new guy will be coming in next chapter! Though it's pretty obvious who it is.

Link: No duh. (points at the story summary)

...D'oh! Oh well, you sharp reviewers saw it coming. Please review some more! XD


	2. An Angel With a Secret

A/N: Huzzah! Time for the newcomer's first chapter!

Link: Oh, for Din's sake, SAY HIS NAME! Everyone knows who it is!

Roy: Jeez, shut up, Link.

Everyone: ...

Roy: Whoa... that felt weird.

Eliwood: Whew! (pats his shoulder) Good to see you haven't changed, son. I was getting scared there.

Roy: :D

Link: ... Can we start the chapter now?

Sure thing! Hooray!

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Chapter 2: An Angel With a Secret

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By the time Roy woke up, it was next morning, and much to his chagrin, it had been Link and Marth who had pulled him out of bed and pushed him to get ready for the day, then dragged him to the Foyer to await the arrival of the new recruit. Normally for being forced out of his sleep, Roy would've entered the said Foyer in a rotten mood, but the normal antics of his two best buds succeeded in lightening up his mood. The three entered chattering excitedly as the rest were already doing.

"So, Link," Roy patted him roughly on the back. "Knowing you, you got any info about the new Smasher?"

"Yeah, anything from _Mario_, Link?" Marth asked, a clear sarcastic smirk in his voice.

"Actually, yeah, I do!" Link grinned, puzzled by Marth's eye roll. "What?"

The prince sighed. "Never mind."

Link caught on, smiling smugly. "Hey, as far as I know, Mario has all but given up on secrecy when it comes to new Smashers. Says it's not worth it when rumors get spread around too easily."

"Which is partially _your_ fault."

"Hey, I get curious!" Link twirled a finger around his ear innocently. "I'm an elf. Elves are curious by nature."

"That's _cats_."

"Same thing."

Roy snorted in an attempt to keep his laughter at bay. "S-so, new Smasher?"

"Oh, yeah!" He gathered the two in close as if telling them a forbidden secret. "Okay, so... this new Smasher's a young kid, probably, like, a year younger than Roy, maybe, from some _far-off land_...!" Link whispered in a daze.

"Ugh, _and_?" Marth pressured.

"Oh! Well, he's got a special 2-in-1 weapon, I heard!"

"2-in-1? What do you mean?"

"Dunno, probably like a sword that changes into something else. Anyways, here's somethin' juicy: he was really shy and quiet at the auditions, like he had some deep, dark secret troubling him..."

Marth arched a brow. "That sounds a bit specific. You're not _spying_ at the auditions now, are you?"

Link held up his hands defensively. "Hey, that's what Mario told me. In fact, that's _all_ he told me. He didn't give me a name or where the kid comes from, just that none of us know him."

"Well, info is info," Roy shrugged. "I'm pretty interested to meet him now."

"He should be here pretty soon." Marth eyed the front doors, then went back to Roy. "No offense, but I hope it's nobody dragon-related."

Roy chuckled. "None taken. We need more variety anyway." He slipped his hands into his pockets, gazing at the glass doors himself. "But we'll just wait and see, won't we?"

And that's just what they did. Thankfully, the wait wasn't long this time, as a small figure arrived soon enough, hesitantly pushing the door open and stepping inside. His sandaled boots clacked across the tile floor softly, one hand clutching a suitcase and the other clasped around the collar of his cloak, cautious not to let it fall. The crude leathery coat obscured most of his features in a modest fashion, as if he was afraid of how people would react to his appearance. From under the hood came a youthful face, big azure eyes gazing at the group before him uncertainly.

Many pairs of staring eyes were the only response to this entrance.

"...Well, _obviously_ he's from some far-off land," Marth whispered briskly. "And you're right. He _is_ shy."

Link only nodded in agreement. Roy looked on with mild concern and sympathy.

Mario stepped up as always, expressing a mix of concern and surprise. "Well, sheesh, what's all _this_ for?"

The youth paused, terribly nervous. "...um... I-I..."

"Oh, come on, you ain't so bad under there!" He smirked, jacking a thumb behind him. "Actually, you're a heck of a lot better-looking than most of these freaks."

"HEY!"

"That was _totally_ uncalled for, Mario!"

"Why don't you say that to my _face_, Noodlebreath!"

"Your butt is _mine_ next battle, Plumberface!"

"Aw, shaddap, I'm trying to cheer him up!" He waved them off, turning back to the newcomer. "Anyways, there's no worries here when it comes to looks, so you're safe. Now, may I take your coat, sir?" He mimicked a butler, holding out his hand with a welcoming smile.

The peacock-eyed boy lowered his gaze demurely, then finally, he put down his suitcase. "...okay."

They watched as he slowly drew back the hood, running his fingers through his chocolate brown locks as he adjusted his gold leaf crown, like those worn in Greece. He unbuttoned the front, revealing a pearly white toga wrapped intricately around his torso, decorated slightly along the edges and secured by an ebony tunic underneath. Pulling his banded arms out of the sleeves, he at last lifted the drapes over his shoulders and let them fall to his elbows. And then from behind him emerged a pair of shimmering, feathery wings, like those of a dove, a small rainbow of pink, purple, and blue reflecting where the light shone.

The response to _this_ was a series of awed gasps and several "ooh"s, "ah"s, and "wow"s. from the Smashers. this was obviously not what the youth had expected, as he looked up in surprise from their reaction.

"Whoa!" Marth breathed in shock.

"Wow, those are so cool!" Link squealed giddily.

Roy looked on in genuine astonishment. "...Is he... an angel...?"

Mario grinned widely, taking the cloak. "There, see? Was that so hard?"

The winged boy rubbed his bare upper arm sheepishly, forcing out the tiniest of smiles. "I...guess not."

"Right, then, let's start over," the plumber suggested. "Now, you're Pit, from Angel Land, right?"

"Uh-huh."

"Guess that answers your question, Roy," Link quickly whispered to the baffled mamkute.

"Alright, then, welcome to Super Smash Brothers, Pit!" Mario took the angel's hand into his in a handshake, which Pit returned humbly. "Now, we got the paperwork done already, so how 'bout I get you settled in your dorm before lunch?"

"Okay." Pit took his suitcase into his shaky hands before following Mario into the dorm hallways, shyly avoiding all eye contact with the Smashers around him before he disappeared within. When they were sure he was out of ear, the Smashers began their excited little chats, as always.

"Ooh, what a cute little angel he is!"

"Pfft, he looks like a total wiener. Betcha he can't fight."

"Hey, now, that's unfair! We haven't even _seen_ him fight!"

"Yeah, I'll bet he's got an awesome weapon in that suitcase!"

Apart from the chatty group, the three gazed into the hallway the angel had gone down, still coming to terms with their shock.

"...Well... that was... different," Roy commented softly.

"You're telling me!" Link looked excited. "We've never gotten an _angel_ before! Wow! Should we go meet him?"

"Mmm, I dunno..." Marth mused. "We may have to wait a bit. He seems awfully shy... a bit _too_ shy, in fact."

"So was he when he first came." The Hylian jacked a thumb at Roy, who grinned. "So what's your point?"

Marth sighed. "Alright. I guess we could try at lunch."

"Alright!"

"Yeah, can't wait to meet him." True, but in fact, Roy was a bit concerned himself. Why _was_ Pit so incredibly shy? Did it have anything to do with the assumption of a deep, dark secret Link had mentioned?

Oh well. Hopefully he'd warm up to them at lunch.

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The afternoon meal was served in the cafeteria, filled with chatting Smashers like old times. And as a result, little Pit went unnoticed as he got his lunch and sat alone at his own table. Unnoticed by all except the three, of course.

"There he is," Roy quietly announced, getting up. "Let's head on over."

The blonde and cobalt nodded, following him to the lone table to sit beside the newcomer and pose as the welcome wagon. Having yet to touch his food, Pit looked up and jumped slightly with a small yelp at the trio gathering around him, ground-dwelling teenagers that towered over his skimpy height. He began to tremble slightly.

"Whoa, calm down!" Marth, who had taken the seat next to him, clutched his shoulder gently, causing his feverish stare to snap his way. "We're just here to say hi! Chill!"

Pit gazed at him, then the other two, then sighed and relaxed. "Oh, I... I'm sorry."

"S'alright. Roy over there was just as squeamish before we met him." The redhead waved with his fork, grinning. "The doofus next to him's named Link." The blonde elf pouted jokingly. "And I'm Marth."

"We're better known as LMR!" Link proclaimed brightly.

"...which I _still_ think is an incredibly dorky name."

Link glared at the cobalt. "Is not!"

Roy smiled as Pit gave out a small chuckle, obviously beginning to loosen up in front of them. Then he noticed his still-full tray. "Hey, how come you haven't eaten anything yet?"

Pit glanced at him questioningly, then made a face at his food, poking the section with yellow corn with his fork distastefully. "I dunno... looks kinda... iffy."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with the food here," Marth assured, then eyed the tray himself. "...Though the way it's presented, I can't really blame you."

"Lemme see." Roy leaned over the table and inspected Pit's tray, pointing to each division. "Let's see... Poisoned, poisoned, poisoned..."

The brunette angel gaped briefly, then laughed as he caught on to Roy's joke, and the other three joined in.

"Haha, just kidding." Roy sat back down. "Don't worry, it looks bad but tastes fine. You're lucky, actually; they just kicked Bowser out of kitchen duty after Mario got food poisoning, so we're _all_ safe from his cooking."

"Hallelujah!" Link cried joyously, shoving a bite of pork into his mouth. "Our stomachs are saved!"

The elf's shouts received many odd looks from other tables, but not even a once nerved-wrecked Pit noticed as the four laughed heartily. Encouraged, the angel began to devour his meal at a rapid pace that was easily noticed.

"Whoa, hey, where's the fire?" Marth exclaimed.

"Huh?" Pit grunted with cheeks full, swallowing. "Oh... I, uh... didn't have much to eat on the way here..."

"Okay," Roy grinned. "But try _chewing_ your food instead of inhaling it."

Pit's round face sulked, embarrassed. "Sorry..."

"'S not a problem," Link waved it off, directing his fork at Roy. "He does the same when he's starving."

Roy frowned inwardly. "I'm just his spitting image, aren't I, Link?"

Link deadpanned, looking between the two. "...Actually, yeah."

The redhead rolled his eyes in dismay, not seeing the curious glance from Pit.

"_Anyways_..." Marth thought to change the subject. "So, Pit, what's your style of combat?"

The angel seemed confused. "Style...?"

"Yeah, like, we're all swordsmen," Roy elaborated.

"Oh... well, mine's a bit... different."

"How so?"

"...Lemme show you."

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As the suitcase was opened, a golden light poured out, entrancing the three as they gazed upon the special weapon within. In cushiony folds sat what looked to be a golden bow embedded with sapphire, though no string attached the two ends together, sharpened like blades. Pit took it by its brown handle and lifted it up, allowing a closer look.

"This is the Sacred Bow of Palutena, the goddess I used to serve under." He said the last half a bit tightly, but the others were too spellbound by the beautiful weapon before them to notice. "It's a... special weapon."

"So, that makes you an archer, right?" Link questioned eagerly. "Wow, so am I!"

"Huh. But where's the bowstring?" Marth asked.

"Oh... Well, it works with these." Reaching further into the suitcase, Pit pulled out two shimmering gold rings of light. He let them dangle on his left wrist, guarded with small armor, and they began to hover in place around the arm's band.

"Whoa..." the trio breathed in unison.

"These are my Light Arrows. With them, I can just do this..." He turned to an open window of his dorm and held his bow up, drawing an imaginary bowstring. But it wasn't imaginary for long, as a string of light formed between his fingers, the rings slipping off his wrist and resting on an arrow of crystal light that had also appeared out of thin air. He released it into the outside, the arrow leaving a comet trail of light behind it and the rings returning to his arm.

Needless to say, the spectators were mesmerized.

"Wow... that is so cool," Roy muttered dumbly, speaking for all three of them.

Pit smiled sheepishly, still not completely over his modesty. "Ah, well, that's not it. When it's a close-range fight, I can do this too..."

He then took the handle by both hands and snapped the bow in half, much to their surprise. He held the two sides as twin swords, performing a few swipes as a demonstration. He stopped with one blade held behind him, blocking an imaginary enemy's attack, and the other directed at Link, centimeters away from his face, to his initial shock.

"...Wow..." he squeaked.

"Nice!" Marth exclaimed. "A weapon that's both a bow _and_ dual swords."

"Th-thank you," Pit humbly bowed, lowering the blades and reattaching them again. Setting the bow down, he in turn asked, "What about you guys?"

Link folded his arms behind his head proudly. "I'm just your average hero of destiny. I've got a sword and shield, with some other minor weapons."

"Just a sword for me, though people tell me I'm pretty quick on my feet," Marth admitted, grinning as he gestured to Roy. "_He_, on the other hand, is a lot more special."

Roy rubbed the back of his neck bashfully, and Pit innocently asked, "How?"

"Well..." Marth wrapped an arm around Roy's shoulders. "He wields a sword similar to mine, but the element of fire is also involved in his attacks. For a while, we thought it just came from the sword..."

Link stepped up to finish, flanking Roy's other side. "But then we all found out this guy's a half-dragon!"

In an instant, Pit's disposition shifted to that of a well-concealed horrid realization, revealed mostly in his slightly enlarged eyes of cerulean. Link's goofy smile faded slowly.

"...what?"

"A-ah... I-I just remembered, Mario told me to get in a few battles before dinner," he came up with a pretty good lie, grabbing his bow and hurrying for the door. "S-see you guys later." He cast one last terrified glance at Roy, then darted down the hallway.

It took a few seconds for the three to register what the hell just happened, and finally, Link muttered, "...What was _that_ all about?"

"Dunno..." Marth answered softly, glancing slowly towards his bewildered friend. "He seemed... _afraid_ of you, Roy."

The mamkute did not respond, staring off aimlessly. Pit was... afraid of him? Why? It could've have anything to do with him being a half-dragon...

...could it?

Roy frowned dismally, disheartened once more by the hidden hatred for his other blood-kin. In fact, he had felt it often from those few who despised him here at SSB, but no one had ever been flat-out _scared_ of him before. But... Pit was a good person, a friend. Surely...

Maybe... Maybe now was his chance to start that idealistic dream of his.

Growing determined, Roy resolved to find the angel and give it his best shot.

A/N: Geez... all my chappies from now on will be at least 10 pages...

Roy: Hooray! More content to read!

Eliwood: Hooray! My son is still crazy!

Link: (sulk)

Eliwood: ...

I know what you're gonna ask, and it's almost ready.

Eliwood: :D

Link: (tries to run away, but Roy catches him and bounds him up) Why me...?

Roy: :D

Hooray! Review!


	3. Confrontation

A/N: Dude, is everyone at school or something? Where did all the reviews go? ;o;

Link: Oh, quit being so demanding.

Eliwood: (charging up the personality switch gun)

Link: O.o

Roy: Run, Link, _RUN!_

Link: (FLEEEEEE)

Eliwood: Come back! I just wanna shoot you! (chase)

(sigh)... Ah, well, next chappie time!

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Chapter 3: Confrontation

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The plan didn't go as great as he would've hoped.

Wherever Roy went to find Pit, the angel was sure to _not_ be there. Roy overheard other Smashers chat about his impressive fighting style, which they had obviously witnessed in one of his battles this evening, but when he asked them where they saw him last, Pit was in none of those locations. A few times he actually caught a glimpse of Pit in the hallways, but any attempt of catching up to him would be futile, as the winged boy got away every time. Roy was beginning to get the impression that Pit was purposely _avoiding_ him.

Heavy-hearted after a fruitless search, the half-dragon remembered his duties, telling his buddies he wasn't hungry for dinner yet. and took a bag of meat up north for his special charge. He tread through the fresh hills, taking comfort in the crisp, late-spring air.

Reaching the mouth of the cave, Roy gave out a small trill, announcing his presence to not cause any alarm. Puzzled when he got no response, he stepped inside to find Silverwing curled up in peaceful slumber. He smiled warmly in content, his earlier frustrations dying away at the sight of the majestic creature.

Kneeling by her head, Roy lifted her earflap and spoke to her in Dragon Tongue to keep her calm. "_Wake up, Silverwing. It is me. I have brought you some meat._"

"Alright, yes, I'm up," she moaned, her golden eye, almost as big as Roy's hand, cracking open and looking his way. "...But that was smart, waking me in the native tongue. Heaven knows what would've happened if I mistook you for someone else."

Roy beamed. "Thanks."

Once he emptied the bag onto the ground, she took her first bite, glancing outside. "Ah, dusk, is it? You woke me with good timing."

"Leaving already?"

"Yes, actually," she admitted, swallowing. "I wanted to get an early start."

"Oh, I see..." Roy tried to keep the disappointment from his voice, but failed as he sat down, awaiting her to finish her meal. Anyone could've guessed what he was saddened about, but Silverwing knew better.

"...Something is troubling you."

Roy did not answer, staring out the cave with doleful eyes of porcelain blue.

The dragon scooted closer, nudging him with her muzzle to get him to turn back to her. "What is it? You can tell me, I have time."

Roy hesitated, but sighed and explained. "...I met someone new today... He was very shy at first, but when we made him feel more comfortable, he was a pretty decent guy... But the second he found out I was a half-dragon, he just... started _avoiding_ me..."

"Hmmp, humans," Silverwing scoffed. "Their hatred runs deep in them."

"That's just it, though, he's not human. He's an angel."

"An angel? Those creatures are real?" After his nod, she mused quietly. "Hmm. Well, I don't know much about angels, but if he's going to insult your unique blood in such a way, then he's not worth your time."

Roy sighed heavily. "I...guess..."

After finishing her meal, Silverwing glanced out into the husky orange sky, testing her wings, then pausing. "Ugh... Would you make sure I didn't accumulate any cave scum on my wings?"

"Oh, yeah, of course." He scrapped to his feet, approaching one wing as she laid her head down for a bit more rest. He looked it over and felt about for dampness, wiping it away with the end of his cape. Still, the task failed to distract him from his original gloom, his eyes downcast.

"It's just... we were getting along so well before he knew... I-I don't wanna lose a friend that easily..."

"..."

Roy then grew thoughtful. "...y'know, now that I think of it, someone told me he had some dark secret... maybe the dragon bit's got something to do with it..."

Silverwing lifted her head and turned back his way. "Well, if you care about him that much, you should go after him."

"I tried to, but I..."

"You gave up." Roy looked up and found himself in her stern, tawny gaze. "You cannot allow your prey to slip away a few times, or they get wise to your advances, and you'll never catch them. Wait for him to lower his defenses, then catch him, Be aggressive if you must. Do not hesitate."

"...I..."

The glare hardened slightly. "Sometimes you have to do all it takes to achieve what you wish, especially the truth. Truth is an essential possession. Without it, there is no trust in anything."

Roy considered this, slowly nodding. "Ah...right." She nodded, laying back down as he resumed his work. "...Thanks."

"It's nothing. You help me, I help you."

The mamkute shook his head in disagreement. "No, really, I appreciate your concern. In fact, it seems most people nowadays don't have any concern for anyone anymore..."

Silverwing smirked. "Be glad you can socialize with other species besides humans. What about your two companions?"

Roy smiled. "I said _most_, not all. Link, Marth, and I... we've all been best friends since _before_ this whole dragon thing started, and even now... I know they're always there for me. I just haven't had the chance to talk to them about _this_ issue."

"Mmm, I see." His job done, she got to her feet, and the two stepped out of the cave, observing the sunset as the twilight of night quietly began. The milky moon was full, bathing all in its silvery glow.

"Well..." Roy sighed comfortably. "I guess you should be heading out now... Oof!" he grunted as Silverwing expressed her gratitude by wrapping her wing around him and nuzzling him with her snout.

"Thank you for your service, little half-dragon."

Roy smiled warmly, coiling his arms around her neck and nuzzling her with his cheek in return. "It was both my pleasure and honor, Silverwing."

"I will be sure to tell others of this place... as well as your kindness."

"I'd appreciate that, thank you. So long."

"Goodbye, Roy. May the winds blow good fortune your way."

At last, they separated, and Silverwing stretched out her grand wings, testing the wind. Quickly, Roy ducked into the cave as she gave a mighty flap and pushed off the ground, dirt and leaves leaping into the air in her wake. Waving it all out of his face, Roy hurried to the cliff's side and witnessed in wonder as the dragon took off, her gargantuan figure disappearing over the Mansion and into the navy blue tapestry of the crisp night.

Roy sighed contently. That wasn't too bad for his first time, he had to admit. All there was left to do was wish for her continued safety on her journey.

His face fell as he caught movement on the roof of the Mansion, a lone figure, easy to spot with those bright white wings...

Wings... ah, it was Pit! And he seemed a lot less cautious as he faced north, ready to take his own flight, probably out for a stretch without bringing attention to himself.

This was it. No hesitation. He was getting the truth he deserved. Roy cringed slightly as he subconsciously formed his own pair of dragon wings, then awaited for Pit top come close before he took a running leap off the cliff and rode on the wind, determined to catch the secretive angel.

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Softly, as not to make noise and alert the others, Pit shut the door of the middle roof tower behind him, thankful that nobody saw him. Before he could do much else, however, a great shadow slid over the roof like a dark ghost, freezing him on the spot by use of his own fears. By the time he had recovered and looked up, all he could see was the faint shadow of... a bird, maybe? How _big_ was that bird...?

...Maybe his nerve-wrecked mind was just playing tricks on him.

He sighed, trying to relax, something he could seldom do anymore. He had almost reached serenity when he met those three likable swordsmen, but the half-dragon...

Oh dear... Pit dearly hoped he hadn't hurt his feelings. Roy just wanted to be friends, he knew that, but... it just wasn't possible... not with his...

The angel pushed those thoughts away and looked to the cloudless evening sky longingly. Though his... condition would not allow him much time, a brief aviation would cleanse his troubled soul, at least for now. With the wind just right, he jumped off the north side of the Mansion and soared in a brilliant dive, swerving up just in time to maintain his speed and balance.

For now, Pit had fleetingly shut his eyes and let the exhilarating, yet calm and familiar, sensation take over, breathing in th dancing air around him and outstretching his now bare arms to get the full taste. It was then he heard a new sound, the beat of leathery wings, thick and heavy in contrast to his flittering feathers. He snapped his eyes open and threw himself back into a halt before colliding head-on with Roy himself.

The half-dragon was suspended by the continuous flap of his bat-like wings; summoning them was most likely a result of his power, but it was still surprising to see them. His gloved fists were clenched, brows narrowed with a stubborn glare in his eyes that terrified Pit senselessly.

"...'Bout time I caught up with you," he began, his voice low and challenging. "You and I need to talk. Now."

Frightened like trapped prey, Pit found himself glancing at the ground warily, knowing of the unseen force deep underneath. "No... n-no, please, go away..."

"Not happening." Roy's large eyes slitted. "I'm not letting you go this time. Not until you tell me why you've been avoiding me."

With no telling how he'd react to the truth, Pit decided against simply revealing his secret, whispering, "...I'm sorry." before darting in the other direction.

"_HEY!_" Fearfully, he glanced over his shoulder to find Roy hot on his tail, not about to let him go as easily as the last few times. In response, Pit tilted his flight pattern into a brief plummet, his velocity increasing the closer he got to the ground. He glanced to his side in astonishment to find Roy doing the same.

"What's your deal?" he shouted though the riding winds. "You've got some _problem_ with half-dragons?"

"No! I'm sorry!" Pit repeated frantically, veering upwards to get away. He faced the forests and shot within, hoping to lose Roy between the trees. Without flinching, he dodged the thick pines by mere inches, never looking back to see his opponent behind him, though Pit knew he was keeping up.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, Pit! I just want the _truth!_"

"Leave me alone!" he bellowed into the open air, mentally blaming his damp, welled-up eyes on the harsh torrents. He broke through into a clearing, some yards in diameter, when he began to feel faint, running out of energy. _No... not now!_ He cursed internally as his vision began to blur, images before him fading into pairs or triplets. Instantly he lost his bird's-eye perception, and the woods he was approaching grew that much more dangerous.

"Whoa!" he heard his pursuer cry, and something took hold of his ankle and pulled him downwards, his momentum dying. He felt a pair of warm hands clasp onto his upper arms, suspending him in the air as the same voice called out to him repeatedly in thick, fuzzy words. When the cloudy feeling all but disappeared from his head, he groggily opened his eyes to see a red-haired face in front of him.

"..it... Pit! Are you alright?" he asked, more concerned than not. "You almost smacked right into that tree! You running out of juice already?"

For a moment, Pit almost welcomed the concern, but as he focused back to reality, he squirmed in a vain attempt of breaking free of Roy's grasp. "No, no, lemme go, lemme _go!_"

"Dammit, Pit, cut it **_out!_**" Roy demanded, keeping his grip firm as his patience wore paper-thin. "**_Why can't you just tell me what's wrong?_**"

"I can't!" the brunette cried, beyond desperation. "You gotta let me go, please... before... b-before..."

"Before what?"

There came a low _doom_ from the earth below them, and a realization of danger hit Roy as his countenance took on a drastic change. The angel was shaking violently in his hands, wide terrified eyes glued to the ground below.

"Oh no... oh no oh no oh no..."

Roy looked down himself to find a dark circle forming below them, spiraling outwards and rapidly growing in size. Strangely enough, its center was fixed on _him_, not the other.

"Pit... what's going on...?"

"No, no, no no no..." The angel began to lose control of his nerves, throwing his face into his hands and muffling his continued babbling.

Before Roy could so much as blink, the black circle hummed menacingly, gathered back into the center, and shot up in a column of energy that hit him dead on, dissolving through his exterior and deep into his being. Roy gaped, feeling horribly violated as he clutched his chest, almost as if trying to claw his way in and pull the corrosive poison out. Pit backed off and watched helplessly, as if he had seen this before.

The half-dragon then felt his internal flame, the fire that fueled his power, light without his consent. But instead of the warm, familiar glow, it was cold and sent chills up his spine. His eyes enlarged and he camped his mouth hut as he felt this cold flame being forced up his throat, eager to be released. When he could suppress it no longer, Roy threw back his head and discharged a breath of black fire with wide stunned eyes, its inky cloud enveloping Pit. The angel gasped in withdrawn pain, then, his stamina spent, plunged down and tumbled into the clearing's emerald grass.

Roy doubled over with coughing, trying to rid himself completely of the foul-tasting flame as he wondered what the hell that was. Catching his breath, he glanced down to find Pit collapsed limply on the ground.

"Pit!" Naturally worried, Roy flew down to his side, kneeling beside him and trying to shake him awake. "_Pit!_" He took hold of the youth's wrist. "_Answer_ me, Pit!"

Then, to his horror, as Roy lifted the limp hand to his eye level, it came to life with a crack, crude claws forced into existence on its fingertips.

Roy gave out a cry of terror, shifting away slowly as Pit's lithe body began to awaken, crackling with forbidden power. His boots were torn to shreds as savage talons ripped their way through, limb muscles toning with added strength. The metamorphosis came complete with an inhumane howl as it continued, stretching out a heavy tail for balance, untaming his cinnamon locks, flaring his ears into a pointed, goblin shape, and pushing his jaws out into an ugly round snout, sharp yellow teeth peeking their way past his lips. Finally, his gorgeous bird-like wings burst in a cloud of molted feathers, and once settled in the bladed grass, they had been cast away for dark ebony, leather, scythe-shaped wings, stretched to a frightening length and incredibly intimidating.

Roy was frozen to the spot as he watched Pit's mutated form rise on all fours, digging his claws into the earth in bestial rage. Perking up his bat-like ears, he turned Roy's way and paralyzed him with a malicious glare from white, soulless eyes. He gave out a guttural snarl and came careening forward, headbutting Roy to the side and out of his direct path. The Pherean's head collided with a tree as a result, effectively knocking him out cold. He numbly hit the ground, feathers flaring up and flittering upon his prone form as the creature spawned from Hell scampered away to his next target.

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A/N: Oh. My. God. This was such an awesome chapter to write, especially that last part. :)

Roy: Psycho.

Link: HELP MEEEEEEEEE! (runs away)

Eliwood: (CHASECHASECHASE) I'LL GET YOU EVENTUALLY! YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER!

XD Please review!


	4. Assault

A/N: Okay, guys! Time for the next chappie!

Eliwood: I GOT 'EM! I GOT 'EM!

Link: WAAAAAAHOOOO! 8DDDD

Roy: HOORAY! (they dance together)

Alright! No sour faces around here! Chappie time!

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Chapter 4: Assault

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"Jeez, this is dumb..."

"We _really_ need to come up with a better emergency plan than _this_..."

"Hey, until we learn how to organize a big group, this is the best we can do."

"Sheesh, how stupid..."

The said emergency plan consisted of herding the Smashers into the Foyer and taking a head count. What only made it worse was that it could happen at any time someone was considered missing. This time it was apparently before most could get to bed, as they were dressed in pajamas and nightgowns, heavily disgruntled.

"Alright, alright, settle down!" Mario called out o the crowd as he stood at the top of the second floor flight of stairs, flipping the balled tail of his nightcap out of his face. "Okay, I _know_ everybody needs their 'beauty sleep,' so if we could all just quiet down and cooperate, we can get this done!" Getting no response, he clapped his hands repeatedly. "Yo, hey, I'm over here! _Shaddap!_"

Absolute silence was the result. Mario beamed in satisfaction. "Good! Now, lemme get a head count! ...One, two, thr... **_Hey, stop moving, I'm trying to count here!_**"

Marth, in blue thermal sleepwear, sighed, losing his patience. "This is ridiculous."

"Tell me about it," Link agreed, with only a simple white t-shirt, red shorts, and white socks, his normal sleep attire.

The prince eyed him dubiously. "Uh... Link? Why exactly do you have your bow and arrows with you?"

"Huh? Oh, I was target practicing before the alarm went off."

"Before _bed_?"

"Well, yeah." Link grinned. "Helps me relax."

Marth shook his head. "You are so weird."

"Okay, okay!" Mario brought attention back to himself again. "Okay, now, without Pit, I got a count of 25! ...Is that right...?"

"The Ice Climbers count as two, so there should be 26," Zelda answered.

"Oh!...Really? Hmm... Oh, wait, did I count myself? I don't remember..."

The entire Foyer rumbled with an annoyed groan.

"For crying out loud... Roy's missing too!" Marth called out to end the confusion.

"Oh, he is? Oh, he is! Good eye, there. So, we got ourselves two missing Smashers," Mario reviewed. "Okay, for your safety, stay put in here while I contact the local authorities..."

"**_Oh, come on!_**" came a fed-up shout, and all attention swerved over to Bowser. "Why can't we just go _find_ them and get it over with? We're fricken' _Smashers_, for Koopa's sake! Who says we can't handle anything ourselves?"

A heavy boom then echoed through the large room, like a soft object colliding with thick glass. It got heads turning in all directions warily as battle instincts were beginning to set off.

"What was that?"

A shrilling scream brought all heads to Peach now, caterwauling as she pointed upwards in horror towards the slanted windows near the ceiling. Following her terrified gaze, they looked up to find some grotesque figure latched to the windows, scratching it up with vicious claws. When its grip became too strong, the glass shattered beneath it, light shimmering off the cloud of individual shards before they splintered against the floor. The beast appeared behind this cloud, suspended by cruel wings of jet black, and descended upon the Smashers in attack.

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Roy slowly came to with a groan, his head throbbing in one gathered spot near the corner of his hairline. He touched it with a single finger and hissed when only slight pressure shot warm pain through the bump that had grown from the injury. He withdrew it and bit his lip in annoyance at the bloodied fingertip he brought back.

Ignoring his wound, he sought to recollect his memories, glad when he was sure that bump hadn't messed with his brain. Then realization hit as he sat up and a light object rolled down his forehead, past his vision line, and into the palm of his gloved hand: a perfect, ivory white feather that had been callously cast away during that horrible transformation. Honoring its beauty, he smoothed its edges with his fingers, frowning regrettably. This must've been Pit's secret. He knew this would happen, he tried to warn him, but Roy was just too goddamn stubborn on getting what _he_ wanted to care about how _Pit_ felt. And now he was that... monster.

...No. No more wallowing in guilt. He created this mess, he was going to fix it.

Leaving the feather with its counterparts, Roy departed southward, predicting Pit's destination to be the Mansion. He grew more determined with each stride in his run, not even halting as he began his own partial transformation to equal the other's strength. One could see it in the trail he left behind in the soil as his human footsteps became clawed tracks, accompanied by thin streaks of tail swishes. As he continued, he soon began to canter on all fours, claws scraping across the dirt trail, his wings (which had remained during his respite) folded by his sides in an aerodynamic way. His snout panted your inner temperature control as the sweat pores on his skin closed up, his muscles surging with power and increasing his speed as every second passed by. Every sense within him sharpened by mind-boggling proportions, his vision piercing through the nightly gloom, his nostrils following Pit's ominous scent, and his large, pointed ears flared up in hopes of catching a clumsy noise from his prey.

With his metamorphosis complete, he dashed out of the forests and towards the Mansion, where he easily found the area of chaos.

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Chaos is what could easily describe the Foyer's current situation. The Smashers were in a state of panic as they dodged broken glass and flying claws, talons, and tail as the monstrosity that had broken in leaped about swiftly, its bloodlust unquenchable. This was just the kind of thing the Smashers couldn't quite handle themselves, not without warning, and certainly not in their PJs.

As of now, Link and Marth had ducked under the stairs, smartly avoiding detection and apart from the current melee for now.

"What the hell is that?" Marth wheezed.

"I dunno," Link breathed, and he certainly didn't want to peek out of his perfect hiding place to get a better look.

But to the elf's dismay, realization finally hit Marth. "Hey, wait a minute! You're the only one of us who's got a weapon!"

Link eyed the bow in his hands, pretending as if just noticing it. "Oh... yeah..."

"Why haven't you shot it down yet?"

"I..." Link braved a glance over his shoulder, finding the creature latched to a far wall, wings outstretched in agitation before he leaped at a random Smasher, someone out of the blonde's view. "...I dunno. Something in my gut's telling me not to..."

"You don't have to kill it, just bring it down!" Marth assured hurriedly. "But unless we get some miracle savior, you're our only hope of avoiding any fatalities!"

Link pondered this over, then notched an arrow in his bow and nodded. "...Okay. Just cover me."

"I'll try."

With that, the two jumped out of their sanctuary to take a stand against the menace. Marth stood before Link protectively as the Hylian aimed above his shoulder, his arrowhead point following the beast's rapid sprints across the walls and floors.

"Hurry up, Link!" Marth stressed.

"Hang on!" he grunted, trying not to break his concentration. "I'm trying to get a bead on 'em... Damn, he's quick...!"

"_NOOO!** STOP!**_" A sudden shout caught many's attention, and they all swerved towards the shattered front doors, where there stood a creature who _looked_ like Roy, panting heavily. "Don't hurt him! It's Pit! I don't know what happened, but he turned into that...thing!"

"WHAAAT?"

"Are you serious?"

Link instantly lowered his bow. No wonder his instincts had been bothering him.

"What do we _do_, then?"

"I'll keep him at bay while the rest of you either get outta here or figure out a way to change him back!" Roy answered the demand, outstretching his wings and snarling Pit's way as a challenge. The mutated angel twisted around to face him, and the two exchanged heated stares before they both took running leaps and met in mid-air combat above the terrified and wounded Smashers. They jumped off one another, thrusting claws and baring teeth, exchanging hot blows and slowly wearing each other down.

Aware of the lack of time, more of the less courageous Smashers made a run for it, and the more compassionate lifted the injured ones away. Link and Marth were among the few who hadn't moved, the prince's mind racing at 100 mph while the elf clutched his bow, deeply horrified by the thought of almost shooting down not only a fellow Smasher, but a friend, something he'd never live down if he had done so.

"Yo! Link, wake up!" Marth's commanding voice snapped him from his thoughts. "We don't have a lotta time, here!" A tormented cry of pain turned their gazes up to the fight, where Pit had headbutted straight into Roy's ribs. Hard. The half-dragon managed to bat him away with a swing of the back of his wrist upon his opponent's head, yet doubled over with a vicious cough. "Both of them are gonna get seriously hurt unless we _do_ something!"

"I know!" Link barked back anxiously, then began to frantically think. "Um... ah, wait... his new form, it looks dark... Maybe light will counter it!"

"Oh, right!" Marth agreed, eyeing his bow. "You've got Light Arrows, don't you?"

Link's gut churned. "...Y-yeah..."

"Then if you could get in a shot, it might reverse the process! And with Roy keeping him busy, he's an easier target!"

The Hylian's fingers subconsciously tightened around his bow. It was an ideal plan in theory, but something deep within him detested it fiercely. "W...what if I hurt him...?"

"Just don't hit him in a fatal place! Come _on_, Link, you gotta take him down!"

Hesitant, Link finally nodded, reaching for his special, light-powered arrow, notching it, and taking aim. Both Roy and Pit hovered in his sight, and his insides tightened in horror at the possibility of aiming wrong and striking the wrong target. Under heavy stress, he lost control of his drawn-back hand, and it lost its shaky grip and released the arrow. It flew between the two, and they both turned to watch it hit the wall in a showy flash of golden light. With his adversary distracted by bestial attraction to the light, Roy took the opportunity and rammed himself into Pit, effectively wrapping his arms and tail around him in a lock, purposely leaving him vulnerable to outside attack.

"He's open, he's open! Shoot him now!" Marth shrieked at Link, who fumbled for another arrow. "_Come on, hurry!_"

"I-I know, I'm going as fast as I...!" Highly distressed, Link barely managed to set up another arrow and lift it again, his aim terribly shaky. Seeing the twisted Pit struggling to escape Roy's hold on him, Link could not bring himself to shoot. He stood still, wide eyes gripped with agony.

"**_Goddammit!_**" Marth cursed, snatching the bow from his hands and taking inexperienced aim. His shot, however inaccurate it was, held no hesitation, and turned out to be extremely effective.

The magic arrow pierced Pit's hip, releasing a shrilling roar of defeat as the beast convulsed to the spirals of light that spawned from the arrow and entered his body. Roy withdrew, and him and the rest watched the victim's figure as it became enveloped within a blinding golden glow. A burst of energy released a cloud of pure white feathers into the air, one of which Roy caught and gazed over silently in the palm of his clawed hand, awed.

There came a soft thud before the light died down, and he looked down to find his former enemy on the marble stone, lying gracefully like a shot dove upon his side. All of his gruesome features were gone, with only his ripped white tunic left as their trace. The dark dragon wings were replaced by his original angel wings, flowing behind him like a white dress. He laid in a puddle of a dark substance, most likely blood, slowly sprawling outwards.

There were shouts of surprise as most began to gather around him or move others towards the Hospital Wing. Link, who had been rigid in disbelief of his inaction, was the only one who noticed Roy descend, looking tuckered out, so he hurried over and caught the mamkute before he could collapse.

"You alright, Roy?" he asked, concerned.

"...unh... yeah, terrific, thanks," he groaned in response, leaning against Link, exhausted. "Hold on to me." The elf did so, watching as Roy silently ordered his own alteration back to his original form. His snout pushed in and claws and wings retracted as he melted back into a human, though he remained conscious, as the partial form took less energy. Once it was done, he asked tiredly, "...how is he?"

"Huh?"

"How is he...?"

"Who, Pit? I dunno, I came to you first." Link glanced towards the mob. "Hopefully they're _doing _something over there besides staring at him."

Roy lifted his heavy gaze that way, sighing deplorably. "...I'm sorry, Pit," he whispered to himself. "I really am."

Link paused, then slung Roy's arm over his own shoulder, getting off one knee. "Come on, let's get you to the Hospital Wing."

Roy complied at first, attempting to stand, but a sharp cry of pain and the buckling of his knees told Link that it wasn't gonna happen. He knelt beside Roy as the half-dragon bent over and clutched his ribs with his free hand, his other clamping to his friend's shirt. The immense pain was clearly seen on his face, contorted in a cringe.

Link looked around quickly for help, spotting Peach making her way out. "Yo, Peach!"

The mushroom princess twirled around quickly. "Yes?"

"Are you getting a stretcher for Pit?"

"Yes, he's awfully shaken and hurt."

"Could you get one for Roy too? He ain't exactly doing too well either."

"Of course." She hurried away with others to fetch their needs.

Link turned back to Roy, who was still caught up in his pain, but was now whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again, his grasp on the elf's shirt noticeably tighter. Link frowned, holding him a bit closer in some comfort.

"...I'm sorry, too."

Meanwhile, those still capable of standing stood above Pit in diminishing fear and increasing worry. The little angel looked not demented, but tortured, his clothing near torn to shreds and stained by the same dark substance, his sepia locks a ratted mess, his bare limbs battered and bruised, and his hands and feet limp from fatigue. His face was innocently tired, like a slumbering child, wiping away the thought of the youth mutating and attacking them ruthlessly.

Few had actually gotten down to inspect his injuries, and among those was Marth, who was puzzled by the inky liquid flowing out of his wounds. The cobalt traced a finger through the fluid and eyed it closely on his tip. It was black and warm as tar, but syrupy and metallic-smelling, just like...

"...unh..."

"Hey, he's coming too!" Mario exclaimed as Pit stirred, moaning ever so softly. He began to shiver on the stone floor, curling further into his fetal position as he whimpered softly, like a child awakening from a bad dream.

"Shh, shh, it's alright," Marth found himself comforting the poor thing, taking one of his limp hands. It was shockingly cold, but firmly took his. At last, Pit cracked his scared eyes open, half-lidded in weakness, glancing up into the young concerned face of Marth and round, perplexed face of Mario.

"Hey, you," the latter greeted, looking as if in shock. "What the heck happened to you?"

Pit didn't answer this, trying to turn over when a flash of pain stopped his progress. When he glanced down, he squealed in terror at the arrow planted in his side.

"Calm down, I'll get it out," Marth assured, getting a tight grip before yanking it out with the expected nasty noise and howl of pain. He eyed the bent, close to broken weapon. "It's a... well, _was_ a light arrow. Guess it took all its magic to change you back."

"Ch-change me ba..." Pit repeated breathlessly, but it did little to ease his anxiety. "Oh, no... oh no, no, no... I'm sorry... I-I... so sorry..." Tears began running rivers down his face.

Mario tried his question again. "What happened to you? What _was_ that?"

"...sorry... so sorry..."

"Give it a rest, Mario," Marth dismissed him and continued his soft approach. "Pit, it's alright. Whatever it was, it obviously wasn't you, so you didn't do anything wrong..."

"...d-did I hurt anybody...?"

"Well..." Marth paused. Lying about that would get nothing done. "...y-yes, there was injury, but..."

But Pit didn't hear the end of it as his wracked sobs took over. "N-no, I... I hurt... oh, no, I'm so sorry..."

Marth bit his lip nervously. That wasn't the response he was hoping for. But a surprising save came from the usually clueless plumber beside him, beaming. "Hey, it's all good. At least you didn't kill no one!"

Pit's damp glossy eyes snapped his way. "I...I didn't?"

"Nope. From what I can tell, the worst you delivered was property damage. Everything else, we can recover from. We're Smashers, after all!"

"We... got to you before you could seriously hurt anyone," Marth elaborated comfortingly. "Don't you worry about that."

Pit let out a massive sigh of relief, or as massive as it could be in his weakened state. Marth smiled, glad to have brought him some solace.

Mario beamed, equally satisfied. "Yep! And that last bit was mostly thanks to Roy over there." He scooted over and jacked a thumb. "He kept ya at bay so no one else would get hurt."

Pit slumped his head that way to spot the half-dragon some ways away, being lifted onto a stretcher. He looked awfully hurt and cried out in terrible pain when they tried to move him. Seeing this, Pit felt his eyes well up again with heavy guilt.

"Oh... R-Roy... I'm... so..."

"Pit?" Marth noticed his wavering consciousness. "...Get your rest. We gotta get you to the Hospital Wing too."

"T...tell..."

"Huh?"

"...t-tell him... I'm sorry..." he pleaded in a voice barely able to be heard, and then he let his consciousness slip away.

Marth sighed. "...he's out."

"Hmm, alright. Then let's move him onto the stretcher." Mario took him by the knees. "You got 'em?"

"Yeah," Marth responded, his hands under Pit's arms, and the two lifted him up and onto the hard mobile bed, and he was quickly wheeled away with the others. The commotion soon migrated out of the Foyer, and a few were still left surveying the damage. After watching them roll out Roy, Link slowly approached Marth from behind, though he was a bit frightened to.

"...Hey."

"Huh?" Marth turned to face him, and it seemed what had happened between them slipped his mind for the time being. "...oh, right. Here." He casually held up the bow, which Link took, a bit baffled. Regardless, he let it go for now and found himself staring down at where Pit once laid.

"What's that black stuff?" he asked with slight revulsion. "It's not Pit's _blood_, is it?"

Marth sighed. "It was coming out of his wounds, so... it is."

"Ugh..." His fine nose scrunched up. "An angel with black blood...?"

"...Hmmp. Guess this is that deep, dark secret you were talking about."

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A/N: Woof... is it just me, or are my chappies getting longer and longer?

Link: WEEEEEEEE (running in circles)

Roy: O.o I think you got him TOO much, Dad.

Eliwood: Yeah... I'll go working on that. (drags Link away)

Review please!


	5. The Angel's Story

A/N: WOW BEEN A WHILE HASN'T IT?

Eliwood: A bit TOO long, methinks.

Link: (SNOOOOOOOORE)

Roy: (comatose)

Eliwood: (roll eyes) Oh, like you haven't used THAT joke before.

Hehe, sorry, I was focusing on this adorable little comic for a good week, and some of you know and understand that, and I thank you. :) Those who didn't know, please go see it! You'll easily find it on my deviantART page; I put a lotta work into it, so I'm making SURE people see it.

Eliwood: MOVING ON...

Oh, yes! Chappie time at last!

Link: Zzz... w-wha...?

Roy: (jumps up) SERIOUSLY?

Seriously! Let's get it started! Oh, yeah, and grab a tissue, I made up a pretty depressing background story for Pit. Please don't get mad, just read it!

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Chapter 5: The Angel's Story

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Pit's awakening was slow and gradual, progressing at a snail's crawl. Faint words first came to his ears, fuzzy at first, but slowly coming into focus.

"...y'know, I should've seen it before. You can tell if you look. See, his pelt's thin from the feathers he molted from stress."

"Stress about what, this?"

"It's most likely. Poor guy..."

The voices were soft, no malice detected in them, and they brought him some comfort. When he gathered up the strength, he let loose a tired sigh from his parted lips as he tried to physically arouse.

"Hey, I think he's waking up!"

At last, Pit lifted his heavy eyelids to a soft, natural light. The pungent smell of medicine told him that he was in the Hospital Wing of the Mansion, and the other voices told him that he had company. Groggily, he lifted his head with a creak of his stiff neck to find Link at the foot of his medical bed, Marth to his left, and Roy to his right, far right, to be more specific. The former two looked innocently concerned, whereas he seemed more distant, observant, and almost... shameful. He averted his gaze when Pit looked his way.

"Hey, Pit." Link's greeting turned the angel back his way, catching a tiny wave from the tired elf. "Good to see you're awake."

Pit feigned a tiny smile, looking down and noting all his injuries, no matter how small, bandaged and treated with great care. His eyes grew sad. "...you... care for me... even after what I did... why?"

"Because," Marth shrugged. "You're a Smasher, and a friend." He paused. "...Roy told us what happened between you two last night. He's laying all the blame on himself, but he's always doing that." Roy gave out a tiny scoff, still looking away. "Anyways, we know it's not your fault, or we wouldn't be treating you."

Silence followed as Pit thought this over, honestly touched by the kind words. He glanced back at Roy, who seemed more interested in the bland white walls, his face sulked in a troubled pout.

"Now, Pit..." Marth spoke up again, taking a cautious approach. "...We're not gonna force you to tell us anything, but... I think I speak for all of us when I say... we're worried about you. We wanna know what happened to you, what you're dealing with... 'cause... you shouldn't have to carry the burden alone. It's not healthy, trust me."

Pit hesitated, agonizing over his next decision. For some reason, he found himself looking to Roy again, and this time the half-dragon slowly looked back, surprised when the two locked gazes. There, all feelings seemed to be told.

"You don't have to," Marth cut in quickly. "We just..."

"S'okay." His mind made up, Pit forced himself into a sitting position, feeling his wings brush against the crude mattress before folding behind his back. "...You're right, I should've told you guys sooner... I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize, just tell us," Link encouraged. "Start from the beginning."

Pit sighed, preparing himself for the long story, then found himself glancing out the window at the afternoon heavens of aquamarine longingly as he began.

"...The place above the world of ground-dwellers, above the clouds, is known as Sky Kingdom. Angel Land is its capital, where the goddess Palutena herself dwells in the palace. I... _was_ the commander of the 1st Regiment of the Royal Guard, soldiers who protected the city and its ruler."

"Was?" Link questioned before Marth shushed him.

"...For some time, the Sky Kingdom had been terrorized by a great dark dragon named Ona, and day by day, he was slowly approaching Angel Land. Since I was the highest-ranking officer and therefore most skilled, Palutena chose me to confront him and gave me her Sacred Bow, its arrows of light his only weakness. I... managed to lure him down to the Underland to finally face him, but..." His bandaged fingers curled into fists. "...I-I lost my nerve... he was so big and menacing and... I-I remember shooting at his weak spot, on his belly, but... I missed... and that was it. I swore I was a goner when he hit me with that last blast of his black fire breath... but it didn't kill me. Instead..." He shuddered deeply. "...I looked down at my open wounds, bleeding normally red at first... soon they started to bleed... black... and... I knew he had done something to me, but I had no idea..."

Marth was quiet in respect, whereas Roy's eyes were downcast in thought. Link spoke up again. "So, what happened to Ona?"

Pit rubbed his arm subconsciously as he continued. "...Finally, the Bow acted on its own, glowing a bright light that made Ona back down. It then sealed him in the Underland and took me back to the Sky Kingdom..."

"So you survived, at least," Marth tried to be bright.

"Yeah, but my pride and honor where gone," the angel bit back, his eyes welling up, much to his frustration. "...Everyone saw the battle. Everyone knew of my defeat. The local medium told them all of the curse Ona had given me, the curse... of his blood..."

This brought Roy back up, surprised. "His blood? then that would make you..."

"By definition, I suppose it does." He sniffed, trying not to let his tears fall and show weakness. "...everybody pushed me away, afraid my curse was a contagious sickness or scared of what I had become..." His voice began to break, and a single tear ran down his cheek. "...only Palutena herself gave me any comfort, any forgiveness, any... acceptance."

This especially tugged at Roy's heartstrings. Acceptance... it hadn't been too long ago since the mamkute himself had longed for the same.

Pit rubbed his nose. "... That was about a year ago... Then, a couple weeks ago. the Royal Guard wanted to train mounted units, and the only creatures able to tolerate such high altitudes are dragons, so they gathered a few..." He hugged his arms tightly, beginning to shiver terribly. "...A-and when I approached one... well... you know what happened..."

All of them nodded numbly.

"I-I d-don't remember much after that..." A sob escaped his throat and his lip quivered as the horrid memories came back at full force. "...b-but when I came to..." With his cheeks drenched in tears, he glanced at his shaky hands with terrified eyes. "...the entire 1st Regiment was slaughtered upon the palace floors... th-their blood... all over my hands and clothes..."

Dreadful silence was their response as Pit buried his face in those open hands, sobbing quietly. Roy gaped in horror. Link muttered an "oh goddesses" under his breath, equally appalled. Hesitantly, Marth placed an understanding hand on Pit's shoulder, to which the angel threw his arms around him, desperate for comfort. Despite his initial shock, the prince awkwardly held him close, patting his back soothingly as the damp tears soaked his shirt.

Some time passed before Pit got a hold of himself, quickly drawing away when he realized what position he was in. Marth handed him a tissue box, and he snatched up a Kleenex and blew his nose with a honk, wiping his cheeks gently.

"...oh, Pit... that's... that's awful..." Marth sighed. "We're all sorry, really." Link nodded softly, while Roy cast down his gaze in regret.

Letting a few dry sobs pass, Pit continued, speaking between soft gasps. "They found out... that Ona's influence... reached out... from his prison... through other dragons... And they... didn't... wanna take anymore... chances... So, b-based on people's vote... C-Commander Gen of the 2nd Regiment officially... b-banished me from the Sky Kingdom... He only let me k-keep my wings and the B-Bow because he claimed they were... t-t-tainted..."

Silence was the only response this time.

"S-so... it was hard... I had no money to get food or shelter with... I only got what others offered me... Then I heard about Super Smash Brothers, and I-I thought with my combat skills I could get free meals and lodgings and maybe even...make new friends... and I passed the auditions, so... here I am."

A heavy impact was left on the room's atmosphere at the conclusion of the angel's heartbreaking tale, and there was some time before anyone dared to disturb the quiet hush. And that person turned out to be Roy, who at last sat up and lifted his gaze to meet Pit's, his eyes of cerulean both sympathetic and apologetic.

"...P... Pit, I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I..."

"No... it's not your fault," Pit shook his head sadly. "...You only wanted to be my... friend. I could've told you, but I chose to run away because I was afraid of how you'd react... and that only put me in a more vulnerable position. So, _this_ was my fault."

"Wait, I don't get something," Link spoke up. "How come the curse isn't going off now? I mean, Roy's right there, so..."

"_That_ I can answer," Roy cut in, a bit less quiet as he built confidence on his knowledge. "A dragon's influence can stretch for thousands of miles... through natural obstacles, that is." He rapped a knuckle against the wall. "The Mansion lies on a foundation of limestone and concrete, like most buildings, so from below, Ona can't reach us. Even if we were on the roof, from where he is, he _still_ won't be able to reach us."

"So as long as he stays inside, he's safe!" Link beamed, trying to maintain optimism.

"Um, reality check, Link," Marth muttered. "He can't just 'stay inside,' he's a freaking _angel_. And I _think_ the fact that he was banished from his homeland counts for _something_."

As Link began to see the flaw in his plan, he frowned. "Okay... well, if he's outside, he's safe as long as he doesn't meet any dragons, right? Can't he just fly back up to Angel Land and ask for forgiveness? We could vouch for him!"

Pit couldn't help but smile hopelessly, slightly warmed by the elf's naïve persistence. "Actually... the blood's been taking its own effect... It drains my energy quickly, so when I try to fly for longer periods, my stamina plummets..."

"Is that why you were losing focus when I was chasing you...?" Roy quietly questioned.

Pit nodded painfully. "...It's a heavy burden... but I suppose if I take caution, I could live with it..."

Roy lurched out of his chair and stated levelly, "That's a lie and you know it."

All of them turned their sights on him in surprise, though Pit was the least. A hiss passing by Roy's lips showed that the movement had triggered pain from his injuries, but he did well to conceal it as he approached the bedside and took Pit's hand in his own.

"Pit... you are a creature who possess the ability of flight. So am I, but not until since recently. I know of the wonderful sensation, but _you've_ known of it your entire life." He tightened his grip slightly. "... I can only imagine how much it hurts for you to have that ability be taken away from you by this curse."

Pit gave no objection to this, taking the hand in return and gazing back with frail eyes of blue. "...So what do I do...?"

"You get help."

Pit blinked. "Help...? From... you?"

Roy lightened up a bit, his voice a mock professional tone, like that of a businessman. "Well, a half-dragon's duty is to aid those of his blood. And since you technically fall into that category, I suppose it'd be my obligation to help you, am I right?"

Pit gave him an unbelieving stare. "You'd fight another dragon... for me...?"

Roy pondered this. "...Well, the way I see it, I've read of dragons casting hypnotism, but never curses. Ona could be a special dragon, or not even a dragon at all. Regardless, a _true_ dragon never inflicts sustained pain on one individual unless there's a threat towards itself, its treasure, its habitat, or its young."

Pit felt his eyes sting again. "You... you really mean it?"

Roy nodded. "I swear upon my blood I'll help you in any way I can."

"So will I," Marth added.

"Count me in, too!" Link piped up.

Pit looked to them both, astonished. "You guys, too...?"

Marth nodded. "Wherever one of us goes, the rest are soon to follow."

"LMR's gotta stay together!" Link beamed a cheesy grin.

Pit's face lifted in a true smile. "You... you guys are too nice... Thank you..."

The trio waved it off like the casual type they always had been.

"So... what first?" Link asked, turning to an already pondering Roy.

"Well... I've never heard of any Ona, but a dragon like that would surely be known by others..." he figured, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"...What about Ryka?" Marth ventured.

"That's what I was thinking," Roy nodded in agreement. "And she's easy to get in contact with too." He stood up straight. "I'll send her a message as soon as... GAH!" This time the flash of pain was too severe for him to hide, and he doubled over, clutching his ribs. Link, being closer, caught him before he could collapse.

Marth sighed, addressing both Roy and Pit. "Before we do anything, you guys should focus on getting better. You really... um... well, you really beat each other up."

The two exchanged glances, embarrassed.

"Link, get Roy back to his room, will you?" The elf nodded, slinging the hurt mamkute's arm over his shoulder for support. Roy snorted, but complied all the same, limping out of the room for some more rest.

Pit frowned. "Did I... really hurt him that much?"

"Hard to tell," Marth replied. "You know those wings he makes? They're real, flesh and tissue, but all that doesn't come outta nowhere. He has to give up some of his own body tissue. Same with his bones; he has to use the tissue from the nearest bones, which happen to be his ribs. So when he's transformed, that's his weak spot. You might've hit him lightly and still bruised him pretty hard."

"...oh, I see..." Pit sighed, fingering the tip of his wing as he slowly laid down.

Marth gave him a soft smile as he stood. "Get your rest, Pit."

"Okay," the angel yawned, taking the thin covers and turning upon his side. As soon as he was snoring softly, Marth quietly left him alone. Within the hallways, he encountered Link, who upon noticing the prince suddenly grew a bit intimidated, like a child who knew they did something bad without telling anyone. This immediately caught Marth's attention.

"...Something up, Link?"

"Aaah..." the Hylian shrunk back a bit, his nervous gaze running all across the floor, but never meeting Marth's. "L-look, about what happened, with the arrow and... I-I'm sorry, I just.. I-I'm sor..."

"Don't sweat it." He patted the other's shoulder, much to his surprise. "I understand. I know you, Link. I know you'd hate to hurt your friends."

Link calmed down, still staring at the floor shamefully.

"You never hesitate to do anything you can for your friends. Sometimes that makes you a bit reckless, but it's a good quality that you should keep."

The fey let out a breathy chuckle with a slight tint of pink added to his cheeks.

"But listen; we needed that arrow in order to stop him. Yes, he'd get hurt, but after what happened to him, I think he'd prefer a small injury then to have killed someone, am I right?"

"...oh... I... didn't think of it that way..."

"Hey, you didn't know it then. Just know it for next time. If it ever happens again, just don't hesitate to bring him down. You'll be helping him a lot more than otherwise."

Slowly, Link nodded, finding it easier to look at Marth again. "...Thanks."

"Not a problem." They subconsciously began to stroll the halls aimlessly. "Just be glad I took the initiative for you that time."

"Yeah, well, you're a lousy shot."

"Hey, I got 'em, didn't I?"

"You _hit_ him, yes, but your shot wasn't clean. You should've picked a spot that was less fleshy."

"Like I would've known."

"I bet you weren't even _aiming_ for the hip."

"Shaddap, wiseguy..." And they continued on, their joking voices echoing down the corridors.

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A/N: PLEASE DON'T GET MAD! I completely made up that story for Pit with the knowledge I had, so PLEASE don't flame me for it!

Eliwood: Saying that is just ASKING for flames.

Shaddap! Okay, next chappie is gonna be LOOOOONG OMG!

Link: You mean like, LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG?

...Exactly.

Roy: Hooray:)

So, that'll take me a while to type. In the meantime, please review!


	6. Friends and Bitterness

A/N: If you are reading this, it's probably ten years into the future because that is how long it'll most likely take me to type up this damn chapter.

Eliwood: (OMG HAS FINALLY GROWN A MUSTACHE) It's about time!

Link: O.O

Roy: (withdrawn laughter noises) ...

Eliwood: ...what? Is there something on my face?

Link: ...um... uh...

Roy: ...BPPHWAHAHAHA (dies laughing)

However, if it's sooner than that, then hooray!

Eliwood: (mustache falls to the floor) WAH! What the hell is that?

Link: ...um...it's a...huge bug.

Eliwood: WAAAHHH! (stomps on it until it flattens) I HATE bugs.

Roy: (revived) Chappie time!

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Chapter 6: Friends and Bitterness

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A day or two passed as Roy and Pit recovered along with the others that were hurt during the attack. A few funds that were left from Ryka's rescue were used to repair the damages in the Foyer, and the story of Pit's plight had eventually fully cycled through the entire Mansion.

"Oh, that's... terrible..."

"The poor thing!"

"No wonder he was... aww..."

Despite their deep concern, Roy had mentioned that it would be best not to have the rest of the Smashers get involved. Link and Marth went to Mario to ask for his understanding, and oddly enough, it took next to none effort to persuade him.

"No, no, I understand. Best to leave dragon affairs to those who know it best. But we'll be rooting for you guys. Do your best to help Pit."

Finally, when the four were up and ready, they climbed up to the roof, Roy holding a hollowed dragon horn, shaped like a bugle. He gave his compadres a grin before raising the horn to his lips, taking a huge breath, and blowing a deep, luscious note that traveled far on the wind's breath and could be heard for miles around. When the note finally expired, Roy withdrew, taking in a gulp of air to retrieve his breath. The sound continued to carry on.

They waited.

And upon their wait came the wide sound of giant leathery wings.

Pit immediately spotted the dark figure approach in the afternoon sky, growing afraid. He looked to the others: Roy was grinning ear to ear, Marth looked on in inescapable wonder, and Link had shut his eyes and crossed his fingers.

"Please let it be Topwing, please let it be Topwing, please let it be Topwing...!"

Pit turned his gaze to realize in horror that the dragon was _right there_, landing on the roof with a grand _THUMP_.

"_YES!_ It's Topwing, woo hoo!"

The great beast was a deep shade of red, its tight jaws, large nostrils, and horned earflaps giving it a more menacing outlook. Upon its landing, and much to Pit's dismay, its tawny gold gaze found him first, and its interest grew with a flare of its wings, their olive green membranes torn slightly at the edges and showing wear. The angel quickly backed off as it came closer, tripping and falling backwards and frantically trying to scamper away until his back hit one of the towers, rendering his escape futile as the dragon stepped in front of him, looming like a great shadow. Pit trembled and whimpered, eyes wide as saucers in pure fear. He squealed when it lowered its head for closer inspection, curling his wings around and hiding behind them as he began to pray. Never had he been this close to this creature. He had no idea whether the tales of dragons' vicious nature were true or not, and he was not too keen on finding out firsthand.

There came a snort as it sniffed him, its breath ruffling his feathers.

"Wow... are you some sort of half-bird?"

Hearing this voice, Pit slowly uncovered half his face and gazed at an honestly curious dragon face, its malevolence gone.

"Actually, he's an angel," Marth spoke up.

"Seriously? Those things are real? Whoa, cool!"

"Yo, Topwing!" Roy stepped up to greet the dragon, to which his scaly face beamed with sharp yellow teeth.

"Roy-boy!" He turned about as the two lunked heads lightly, a traditional dragon greeting between friends. It caused soft damage to their skulls, but they only laughed as they circled around each other and did it again.

Marth smiled at Pit's astonishment as he helped him to his feet. "Don't you worry, as long as your not a dragon poacher, Topwing wouldn't dream of hurting you." He glanced up just as Roy hit the floor, giggling dizzily. "...much."

Once the fun was over, Topwing nuzzled Roy to his feet as the half-dragon noticed Pit. "Oh, right!" He straightened up, standing beside the dragon. "Pit, this is Topwing. Topwing, Pit," he introduced.

Pit only stood in shock. "...a...d-dragon..."

"You got it!" Roy grinning, scratching Topwing behind the earflaps. "Your not-so-average _Draco occidentalis welshis_."

"...?"

"Welsh Red Dragon,"**(1)** Roy translated.

Topwing blinked. "...But I wasn't born in Wales."

Roy frowned inwardly. "True, but your _genes_ determine you as a Welsh Red."

Despite their debate, Pit had yet to make a move, the most stupefied look frozen on his face.

"...Do all angels have dumb looks like that?"

Roy sighed, remembering the reason he called Topwing. "Look, do you know of a dragon named Ona?"

That caught Topwing's attention immediately. "Ona? No dragon worth his wings doesn't know about the dark dragon Ona!"

"Could you enlighten us?"

"Sure." Topwing settled on the floor comfortably. "Okay, Ona's no normal dragon. He was created from an alchemic ritual, so he's got a few powers we don't."

"Mmm, figured as much."

Topwing snorted in disdain. "Yeah and all he knows is causing pain and suffering, apparently, and giving us real dragons a bad name. Then finally, somebody stuck him underground, thank the gods. No idea who, though."

"Well, you're looking at him!" Link piped up, jacking a thumb Pit's way.

Topwing gaped. "Seriously? _This_ little guy? Wow!" He treaded up to Pit hastily, and he would've shaken the angel's hand if he could. "How'd you do it?"

After the initial surprise of his approach passed, Pit cast down his gaze. "I didn't... my Bow did..."

The dragon's grin thinned. "..huh?"

Roy coughed, taking hold of his neck and pulling him away. "Um... lemme fill you in..."

As they talked privately, Marth patted Pit's shoulder, gaining his attention. "Don't sweat it, Topwing didn't mean anything."

"I-I know..." The angel glanced at the dragon, listening intently to Roy. "...He's actually... well... different from the stories the older angels told me..."

"Yeah, Topwing's a bit of an oddball," Link grinned. "Not sure why, but unlike most dragons, he wanders. and that's just the kind of dragon you need for keeping in touch."

Marth nodded. "He's how Roy stays in contact with Ryka, especially when she's on the move."

Pit blinked. "Who's Ryka?"

"Ah... well, she's another half-dragon, and a good friend of ours."

"she joined SSB for about, oh, a month or so?" Link added. "She taught Roy everything he knows about his powers. Everything else he learned from the books."

"...So, Roy thinks Ryka can help us?" Pit questioned.

"Basically, yeah," Marth replied. "Unlike him, she's known of dragons her whole life, so he usually goes to her for info. It's most likely she'll be able to help us out."

"Mmm." Pit turned away to face Topwing, his snout inches away. "Wah!"

"Hey, uh..." He spoke a bit unsurely, hoping not to open any wounds. "...Sorry about... all the... yeah..."

Pit frowned briefly, then feigned a small smile. "It's okay... really."

"Uh... I, uh, hope you don't hate us 'cause of that..."

"Oh, no, no," Pit hastily assured. "It's not that I _hate_ dragons, I just... can't get near them..."

Topwing nodded understandingly, then his golden eyes snapped open in realization, and he wisely backed off, flaring his wings warily. "...um..."

Roy chuckled. "Hey, don't sweat it. Ona can't reach us up here, remember?"

Topwing paused, his wings folding. "Oh... yeah... I knew that." He swiveled his large head to glance at Roy. "So... what'd you need me for, anyways?"

"I promised Pit I'd help him, but..." The mamkute sighed. "...I'm not really sure what to do next."

A knowing grin crossed Topwing's snout. "And you need Ryka's opinion, huh?"

"Precisely." Roy held the dragon's cheeks with both hands, emphasizing the seriousness of his next command. "Tell Ryka everything, then come back with her response. And hurry."

"Gotcha! Oh, wait." Seeing Pit still sulking, Topwing padded up to him, lowering his head. "Hey." He moved his snout below Pit's chin, lifting it up. "Chin up."

Pit stared back, raising a hand to his neck as if amazed that a dragon had touched him and he lived to tell the tale.

Topwing beamed, inclining his head to the side in a friendly fashion. "You gotta be as strong as the wind, y'know? Things can only get better!"

Pit considered this, then faintly smiled and nodded. "O...okay."

"Right then, I'm off." He turned southward, outstretching his grand wings. "Wait for me up here, alright?"

"See ya, Topwing!" Link waved energetically.

The dragon flashed the elf a toothy grin before pushing off the roof and flapping his wings with expertise, immediately beginning his flight. The four watched him disappear over the horizon before anyone bothered to interrupt the natural silence in the air.

Pit, who was still holding his neck, slowly lowered his hand until it clutched at his collar. "...wow..."

Marth gave him a hearty smile. "Pretty neat, huh? That's what you get to see when you've got a half-dragon for a friend."

"...he was so understanding... so... nice..."

Roy chuckled nervously. "Well, not all dragons are like him, especially the older ones. How old do you guys think Topwing is, 'cause I've never asked him."

Marth's brow narrowed in thought. "Oh, I'd say... maybe 60, 70."

"Yeah, somewhere in his late zero hundreds."

"I asked him once, and he threatened to burn my buns," Link pouted as the rest only laughed.

"So, now what?" Marth asked Roy, who twirled about and landed flat on his back, grinning.

"Well, we just ate, and it'll only take him a couple hours since she's only down in Mexico," he reasoned, gazing at the sky as he folded his hands beneath his head. "And the weather's nice. Let's just stay out here."

"I second that!" Link agreed, plopping down next to him and taking in a breath of the fresh air, sighing in content.

"That's actually not a bad plan." Marth shuffled down, pleased with simply sitting. "Come on, Pit, join us!"

"...Okay." Allowing some of his restlessness to flitter away, Pit sighed and settled between Marth and Roy, folding his gorgeous wings behind him and hugging his bent knees close to his chest. He gazed aimlessly ahead, ignoring the mahogany strands of hair the breezes blew before his eyes of azure.

"...So, how 'bout them Raiders?"

"Oh, shaddap, Link," Roy snickered. "You are _such_ a dork."

"Pssht, whatever! What about the time you..."

That sparked a hefty conversation as the three debated who was more of a dork for a good few hours. Pit listened with quiet interest, his laughter growing louder and happier the more they went on. Eventually, he concluded for them that they were all equally dorky, launching an episode of dumb commentary and intense laughter. Without initially knowing it, he had grown more at ease, and not much else was bothering him at the moment. He actually felt... relaxed.

Some time later, Roy found himself staring at the clouds. "...Hey, that cloud kinda looks like Yoshi."

"Which one?" Marth asked, looking upwards himself, as did the other two.

"That one." Roy pointed it out lethargically.

"...Oh, yeah, I see it. Oh, and that one looks like a horse."

"The one below Yoshi?"

"Yeah."

Link pointed at another. "That one looks like... a cloud."

"Very observant, Link."

Pit looked for one himself. "...Oh, oh! That one has wings!"

"A winged cloud, huh?" Roy smiled whimsically. "Cool."

A thought crossed Pit's mind, and he smiled at his companions. "Hey, did you guys know angels are born from clouds?"

That tore their attention from the sky immediately. "Whoa, seriously?"

"Uh-huh. Well, clouds and magic, of course." He gave them a curious glance. "So, tell me, how are you ground-dwellers born?"

Marth began a fit of coughing. Link visibly paled. Roy blanched in well-concealed terror.

"...what?"

"Ah... um... we'll tell you later," Marth choked out, patting the terribly innocent angel on the shoulder.

Pit blinked. "Um... okay."

"W-well, I can tell you how dragons are born!" Roy blurted out. "They come from eggs!"

"Like birds?"

"R-right, exactly!"

Pit was not oblivious to the anxiety he had brought upon the trio, frowning. "Oh... I... made you uncomfortable... I'm sorry..."

"No, no, it's alright, don't worry about it!" Marth hurriedly assured. Pit was just beginning to loosen up, the prince knew that, and he didn't want him to lose that now. "...nothing to... get worked up over... ehe..."

Pit recognized his attempt to cheer him up, and it worked. "Alright. Sorry."

"Hey, that cloud looks like a flash of light!" Link spoke up, halting the awkward conversation.

"...Um... I think that _is_ a flash of light," Roy clarified.

Pit seemed to recognize it as he gaped. "Oh, no..."

Marth glanced his way, concerned. "Pit? You alright?"

The brunette scampered behind him. "Please hide me."

"Um... alright... **_whoa!_**" The cobalt jumped as a beam of that same light hit the roof inches away from him, and he quickly got to his feet with the rest of them. Pit firmly held his hiding place behind Marth and dared not to move a muscle. With a tiny burst of color, a figure appeared before them, standing quite proudly.

He was another angel, his feathers well-groomed and in order. He was well-decorated with glittering armor and an intricate tunic, screaming out his high rank. A gleaming helmet topped his head, concealing all but his oh-so-charming adolescent face, complete with a blue feathery plume he soon adjusted after his appearance with one hand while his other fingered the hilt of his tiny sword somewhat warily as if expecting an attack.

He checked his plume again, then faced the dumb looks upon the three before him, bowing curtiously. "Greetings, ground-dwellers. Don't be alarmed. I may seem strange in appearance, but..." He paused when he glanced up from his bow, ditching the formal act as he straightened up. "...Oh, I'll just skip all that. You three appear to have seen plenty of strange things."

Roy scoffed lightly at the clear insult under that remark, shrugging to Link's quick whispering of "who the heck is this guy?"

At the same crude remark, Pit grew slightly angered, yet not enough to confront the other angel... yet.

"What do you want?" Marth asked sternly.

"Ah, well, I represent the good citizens of Sky Kingdom, celestial beings who live above the..."

"Yeah, we know. But what are you doing down _here_?" Marth pressed, irritated by this angel's nerve.

The angel paused with slight surprise, then continued. "Ahem, right. Well, our local medium detected a disturbance from one of our own in this area. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions..."

"Why, so you can humiliate him when you get back up there?" Link bit back sharply.

He sneered towards the elf. "So you _do_ know about our exile. In that case, I _order_ you to answer my next few questions."

Pit clenched a fist, shutting his eyes tightly as those words echoed on in his head: _You gotta be as strong as the wind..._

"Not gonna happen," Marth muttered defiantly.

"Who the heck are you, ordering us around?" Roy demanded hotly.

Pit could no longer take it, hiding from his regrets. Boldly, he stepped out from behind Marth and confronted the painfully familiar face with newly-awakened courage.

"He's Commander Gen," he answered firmly, locking his sapphire orbs with the other angel's sun-strained grey eyes. "...of the 2nd Regiment of the Royal Guard."

Gen smirked at his entrance, becoming twice as haughty. "Actually, I was promoted to 1st Commander after your banishment."

Pit's eyes narrowed. "How convenient for you."

"Hmmp. It's not like there _is_ any 1st Regiment. _You_ of all people should know that."

Pit lost his air, his hard scowl melting away as the bitter reality plucked at a heartstring.

Gen noticed this change, smirking impishly as he decided to twist the knife in that emotional wound for his personal amusement. "Don't act like you have any remorse. You _killed_ them. You **_slaughtered_** them..." Pit flinched. "...like animals. And then you turn around and do it again on the ground." Pit shivered deeply as Gen leaned dangerously close. "Tell me, how many did you kill _this_ time?"

"Hey! That's not fair!" Link protested, stepping forward. "For your information, he didn't kill anybody! You can't treat him like a bad guy just because of his cursed blood!"

But that only got Gen to sneer gleefully. "Ah, but that's every reason to lay hatred upon him. He was sent to destroy Ona and he failed. The curse is a fair-enough consequence for his incompetence."

"No one deserves to be cursed, no matter what the circumstance," Marth rebutted. "Besides, at least he had the courage to _try_ and didn't hide up in Angel Land with everyone _else_!"

Gen was ignorant to that jab at his dignity. "Regardless, he now possess the blood of dragons, the most vile and wicked creatures to ever pass under the Goddess' grace."

Roy felt his eye twitch. _Did he just say what I **think** he said...?_

"They raze fields with their filthy breath and kill innocent people, then turn to hide in their caves...!"

Roy clenched a tight fist, shaking with inner rage.

"All they exist for is bringing pain and suffering upon those weaker than them!"

"_That's not true!_" Roy finally snapped, gaining Gen's attention. "You don't know anything!"

"Hmmp. And just who are _you_ to deny my..." He paused after getting a good look at Roy, smirking wickedly. "Pah, no wonder. Red hair, blue eyes... you're one of those humans that have the repulsive blood. I feel sorry for your kind, truly."

That only stoked the flames of Roy's anger, his glare worsening. "I don't need your...!"

"Honestly. Given the impossible task of uniting humans and dragons... ha. A worthless ambition. We angels cannot forgive those monsters for what they have done, so why should humans?" He unwisely approached the seething mamkute. "You're a useless peacemaker with an outdated cause, and worse yet, you _care_ for the beasts. But your greatest immorality is your blood, your disgusting half-dragon blood, setting you as an outcast from both races. For you, you miserable creature, there _is_ no belonging in anywhere besides your own circle of half-breed freaks! There is no...!"

But he was halted when Roy lost control and swung a blazing fist into Gen's jaw, much to everyone's initial surprise. The blow effectively bruised and burned his cheek and knocked him to the floor, and as a bonus, a lick of flames caught onto his proud helmet plume, and the flammable feathers razed out instantly, much to Gen's horror. Before he could so much as move, the enraged redhead lifted him up by his collar until Gen could look into his eyes, burning with unspeakable infuriation.

"You listen to me," Roy growled gravely. "I am proud of what I do. I am _proud_ of the blood that runs through my veins. I don't _need_ your useless pity, and what you say is nowhere close to the truth." Disgusted, he cast away the collar and allowed Gen to fall again. "But I _don't_ need to waist my time on your ignorance."

After his shock wore off, Gen checked his lip to make sure he wasn't bleeding, then gave Roy a dark scowl. "Hmmp. Trying to hide behind a mask of so-called 'pride,' are we? Hehe, Pit over there tried to do the same, only to be shunned by his people! Mark my words, you infernal half-breed, your kind shall do the same to you! You're almost worse than your vile cousins...!"

"...Man, this guy gets punched in the face and he _still_ won't shut up!" Link hissed to the other two. "I tell ya, he's seriously asking for it."

Pit meekly pointed southward. "... F-for what, that?"

They looked. Link smirked maliciously. Marth snickered. "Oh yeah, and he's gonna get that alright."

By now, Gen had gotten to his feet, trying to overpower Roy by standing tall, which was an impossible feat for all angels, their frames light and small like birds in comparison to these large ground-dwellers. "Well, you can't scare me! Your power is nothing compared to a _real_ dragon... Those cruel wings, like bats..."

_Flap...flap..._

"Their callous fire breath..."

_Flap, Flap, FLAP..._

"And those _wretched_ faces, with ugly snouts and crude teeth and..."

_THUMP!_

The sound made Gen's heart leap into his throat.

"You wanna say all that to my 'wretched' face?"

Slowly, very slowly, Gen turned around and faced a glowering Topwing, snorting out two puffs of agitated smoke from his nostrils. And in response, the haughty angel's cruel confidence vaporized, his beady eyes widening into egg yolks of sheer terror.

"AIEEEEEEEKKK!" Gen squealed, stumbling over himself to escape from the beast of his greatest fears. Topwing didn't even have to blink as the terrified angel tried to take wing and smacked into one of the towers, falling to the roof limply.

"...Okay, who's this bozo?" the dragon asked.

"That would be Gen," Roy answered. "You know, the guy who went and banished Pit..."

"Oh, is that so?" Topwing gave Gen a malicious grin just to see his terrified reaction.

"EEEP! NOOO!" Before he could attempt another escape, the dragon brought his tail down firmly around his ankle, curling it around, and heaving Gen up with little effort. "N-No! Please, don't hurt me!"

Roy stepped up in front of the upside-down angel, ignoring his pleas and the wailing of his limbs, glancing back briefly as the other three laughed at Gen's predicament. Even Pit lightly giggled.

"Okay, since you're just hanging around, listen up." Roy stopped just before Gen's face, their eyes at level. "I've got a proposition for you. If Pit's curse is broken, he's no longer a danger, right?"

"I-I...suppose so..."

"So if we break it, will you agree to lift the banishment and allow Pit back into Sky Kingdom?"

Gen scowled. "And what do I get in return, hmm?"

Roy beamed and answered in a delightful tone, "Your life."

Gen squealed like a pig as Topwing mirrored Roy's pleasing smile, blowing a wad of smoke into his face.

"Yeah, see, _you_ issued the banishment, so if we were to just take you out _now_, the declaration would be null and void," Roy explained cheerfully. "My dad's a lord, I gotta know these things."

"Hey, it'd save you a lot of trouble," Marth pointed out with a grin, Link wearing an underhanded smirk and Pit trying to keep himself from giggling too loudly. Roy nodded.

"Exactly!"

"N-no, no ,that's not necessary!" Gen interjected desperately, giving them a nervous grin. "I-I'll accept!"

Roy's joyful smile only grew. "Good. I'm glad we've reached an agreeme..."

"B-but on _one_ condition!"

The half-dragon inclined his head playfully. "Oh?"

"Do it by this time tomorrow!" he proclaimed boldly. "In 24 hours I'll return to find you, and I do not approve of your progress, then the deal is off!"

Roy's smile thinned as he began to consider the mad proposal. He looked to the others for guidance, and both Link and Marth gave him looks that said "it's up to you." Pit, however, looked most determined to take on his rival's challenge, nodding urgently. Roy was surprised to see _him_ of all people so ready to throw down. Then again, knowing Gen, he could understand Pit's agitation, and he really couldn't blame the angel.

Roy turned back to Gen, giving him Pit's same firm nod. "Alright. We accept."

Gen tried to regain his smug grin, but failed to grab most of its intensity. "Good, then. Now make this... _beast_ let me go."

"Ah, ah, ah," Topwing tsked much like a nanny. "Try asking nicely."

Gen sighed and shivered at the same time. "..._Please_ let me go."

"That's more like it." The dragon's tail unraveled around Gen's foot, allowing the angel to fall back down on the roof. To save face, Gen ignored all the giggling around him as he got up and brushed himself off.

"Hmmp, right, then. I'll return on the morrow. Good luck to you ground-dwellers... You'll need it." Flaring his wings, the proud angel took flight, his form disappearing into the clouds.

"...Peh. What a snob," Topwing snorted.

Pit clenched a fist, his face unnaturally hard as he glared through the clouds. "...Yeah, you keep flying home," he muttered through his teeth. "...You coward."

Marth heard this, genuinely surprised. "Whoa, Pit... you alright?"

At that question, Pit himself seemed startled by his own anger. Relaxing his scowl away, he sighed. "...He's always been like that... ever since I first joined the Royal Guard. I was a lot younger than most of the commanding officers below me, and... he didn't like that."

"Hmmp, figured as much." Marth commented briskly. "He looks like he puts all airs on his rank."

Pit only nodded exasperatedly.

"Um...Roy..." Link poked the mamkute dubiously. "You sure that was smart? Who says we'll get it done in one day?"

"Hard to tell." Roy shook his head dismally. "But at least it got Gen to agree. I made a promise, and I intend to keep it by any means possible." He faced Pit, who returned his gaze. "Even if this doesn't work... we'll find a way. I promise."

This time Pit responded with a hearty smile, the first truly happy smile they had yet to see cross his youthful face. "I know you will. But don't worry about it now. 'Cause I know you can meet his challenge!"

The situation suddenly grew a bit brighter at the angel's optimistic words, and Roy returned the grin. "Well spoken."

"Alright, the angel-dude's got confidence now!" Topwing beamed, making Pit blush ever so slightly.

"So let's get this moving, then." Roy turned back to Topwing. "So, what'd she... uh? What's that?" A satchel and scroll tied to a rope around the dragon's neck caught his attention, and he began to unwrap it as Topwing explained.

"Personal message from Ryka herself. Guess she had some specifics I'd probably forget."

Roy unraveled the scroll and his eyes scanned the letter rapidly, eyeing the satchel a few times as well. When he was done, his brow narrowed knowingly and he cast the paper away. "Alright, no time to explain. Link, Marth, you wait here with Topwing. Pit, you come with me."

"Huh?" Before he had a say, Roy took Pit by the wrist and hastily led him downstairs.

Link blinked. "...um...what's going on?"

"Check the letter," Topwing suggested while Marth picked up the said letter. "Roy taught you Dragon Rune, right?"

Marth made a face at the scratchy runes, obviously scribbled in a hurry. "Yeah, but... Link's better at translating than I am." He shoved the paper and responsibility into the elf's hands, to which he stuck his tongue out.

"Which is true, I may add." Hotly, he snapped the scroll flat in the air to read more clearly and began, his voice slow with meticulous care as his brain translated rune by rune.

"_Dear Roy,_

_I have been told of your predicament, and I will be willing to do all I can. To be truthful, I have been searching for a way to defeat Ona once and for all, and now that you have found the one who had sealed him, we may be able to destroy the dark dragon and help your friend at the same time. In order to do so, we will need you and your friends as well. Your strength and support will make this all much easier._" Link preened. "Well, ain't that nice?"

"Keep reading," Marth pushed.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh... _Topwing has been given instructions to bring you to our current location, a hidden grove in northern South America, kept secret for reasons I am sure you would understand. I will tell you the details of the plan once you arrive. All of you come prepared to fight, with all your equipment, especially the Sacred Bow of Palutena. And conserve your energy for when you need it, Roy_."

The said half-dragon halted in the middle of the dorm hallways, turning swiftly to face Pit. "Alright, we don't have much time, so you'll have to help me out." Roy stated levelly to the bewildered angel. "Go grab your bow and rings, Link and Marth's swords, and Link's bow and arrows. He had different types of magically-powered arrows, so make sure to grab 'em all. Then meet me in my dorm. Got it?"

"Uh...yeah!" Pit tried to remain confident, even if his orders were a bit odd.

"Right on." Roy pat his shoulder in confirmation, then hurried to his dorm, Pit embarking in the opposite direction.

"_Lastly, here is a potion you can use for your friend. The ingredients are enclosed in the satchel for you. I am sure you know what it does._"

"Potion...?" Marth questioned.

Approaching his desk, Roy popped out a vial and his pocket knife, emptying out the contents of the small satchel: a bottle of honey, a pile of white powder, and a white flower with a resemblance to a daisy.

"_Convert a few drops of your blood to pure dragon blood and mix in the ground unicorn horn, a few drops of honey, and a single eye of newt._"

Roy did so, cutting into his fingertip, allowing a few drops into the empty vial, and heating it up until it turned chartreuse. He then added in each ingredient, mixing it just as the door opened.

"I got everything you said," Pit pronounced, a medium over his shoulder as he stepped inside.

"Awesome. Thanks, Pit." Roy eyed his concoction as it foamed and turned lavender.

Pit gazed at the draught curiously. "What's that?"

Roy blew off some of the steam, grinning and holding it towards the angel. "For you, that's what."

Pit blinked. "...w-what?"

"This'll help you, trust me," Roy urged, putting it into Pit's hand. "Drink up every last drop."

"_Have your friend then consume it. Also... be sure to keep his spirits. After all that has happened to him, he will need all the support he can get. But this I know you are easily capable of, Roy._"

Pit retched slightly at the discolored, aqueous solution and wondered how it possibly could've passed as a beverage. But at Roy's urging nod, the angel quickly brought the vial's edge to his lips, the faint, almost syrupy smell creeping into his nostrils. Bracing his taste buds, he lifted it in a hefty swig, using all of his willpower to force the wretched-tasting liquid down his throat. After a few gulps, the potion had been polished off with a belch and a puff of purple smoke, Pit reeling with relief.

Roy took the vial and offered a cup of water. "I know, nasty, isn't it? Here, wash it down."

Pit took it gratefully and gulped it down instantly. Coughing, he asked, "W-what was that... supposed to do...?"

Roy grinned, taking the bag of weapons into his hands. "It's a warding potion. Basically, you won't transform again in the presence of dragons until the potions wears off."

"R-really?" Pit was astonished. "Why, though? Are we going somewhere?"

"Yep. Gonna see a good friend of mine about your predicament. Let's get back to the others and go."

"_See you soon. Sincerely, Ryka_." Link concluded, perplexed. "...okay..."

"Where're we going, Topwing?" Marth asked the dragon, who beamed.

"Oh, it's this awesome place deep in the jungle, where Ryka's bringing all the Mexican amphitheres. S'called the Grotto. You guys are gonna love it."

----------

A/N: OMG I ACTUALLY GOT IT DOWN JUST BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED!

Roy: Woo! It didn't take forever!

Link: Woo! Eli doesn't get a creepy-looking mustache yet!

Eliwood: W-what?

Seriously, I start school tomorrow, so this is just in time. Ch 7 is still in the works, so give me some time, but we're not at hiatus yet, I promise! In the meantime, review!


	7. The Grotto

A/N: HOORAY FOR SENIOR YEAR! GOBS OF HOMEWORK!

Link: OUCH. Sounds painful.

Eliwood: So what?

Roy: BE NICE DAD!

Eliwood: Don't you talk back!

Anyways, sorry for the wait. Stupid homework... Ah well, better get this started, since I finished it.

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Chapter 7: The Grotto

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Soon enough, they were of, sailing the clear, late-spring skies southward. They were currently cutting through the Gulf of Mexico, the sea spray making the air misty and cool, and a lack of rough winds made the flight pleasant and generally uneventful, at least thus far.

Marth was mounted at the base of Topwing's neck, just below the rope that carried the bag holding their needed equipment. The fear of heights he always had seemed to have waned bit by bit, his grip on the rope loosening as he began to relax. His gaze shifted between Topwing's head before him and the rolling waves below them, listening to the deep, full sound of the scarlet wings flapping against the wind.

Behind him sat Link, taking in all of the above sensations with almost a child-like glee. He patiently awaited their arrival, watching the horizon expectantly.

Roy flew upon his transformed wings, the only partial transformation he could muster without wasting valuable energy for the struggle ahead. He took in big breaths of the crisp, nippy atmosphere in delight, his deep love for the power of flight unchanged. But the amusement was dashed as he looked Pit's way, the angel flapping his feathered wings at a steady beat. Despite the energy-draining effects of his blood, he insisted on taking his own flight, almost as if to test his strength. Realizing this, Roy had agreed, but now he noticed signs of fatigue entering his facial features as the rate of his wing speed decreased considerably. If kept on going, no matter how determined he was, his body was going to collapse.

Knowing this, Rot tilted his flight pattern slightly until he was at the angel's side. "Pit, you alright? You look kinda tired..."

"I'm fine," Pit responded breathlessly.

"Pit, I know you're trying to be string and all, but you can't just..."

"I'm fine!" he snapped with little force. "I can fl... f..." His eyes shut almost serenely as he began to drop.

"Pit!" The others cried as his limp form spiraled down, approaching the sea below. Roy bit his lip and turned away and downwards to obtain the required speed, swooping down close to the water, his sheer velocity cutting a line through the waves. Just before Pit hit the water, Roy swerved up and caught him in his arms, flapping his wings to increase his altitude and rejoin the others.

As Pit regained some of his consciousness, he looked up drearily to find purple and red wings flapping against the wind. Looking down, he found himself heaved over Roy's shoulder, the half-dragon's hands grasping his waist firmly as they flew up and away from the churning seas.

As Topwing's swishing tail and rotating wings came into his sight, Pit knew they were back with the group, and he vaguely realized the peril he had just avoided.

"Is he alright?" he heard Marth call out past the rushing winds.

"Yeah, he's just tired," Roy responded. "Can you carry him the rest of the way, Topwing?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Pit caught the slight annoyance in the dragon's voice, but had no time to protest as he was turned and laid down upon the long neck, his loose limbs and wings hanging limply from his sheer fatigue.

Roy hovered into his vision. "Pit, listen. I know you wanna prove yourself and all that, but exhausting yourself won't help in any way, alright?"

"...o...okay..." Pit sighed. "I-I'm sorry."

"No biggie. Hey, Marth, make sure he doesn't fall off."

"Got it." He felt the prince's hand rest firmly on his back between his wings, holding him firmly in place. "Don't worry, Pit, I gotcha."

"Mmm," he muttered in response, more concerned with something else. Shakily, he looked up at Topwing and called out, "S-sorry! ...for being a burden..."

To his surprise, the dragon turned his head on his long neck and flashed him a grin. "Ah, don't bother. I barely notice you; you're as light as a feather!"

Pit took those words to heart, smiling softly as he laid back down comfortably and sighing as he watched the clouds sweep by.

After some time, Link, becoming bored, glanced ahead and his face lit up instantly as he pointed over a disgruntled Marth's shoulder. "Look! Land!"

Indeed, a shred of green crawled up over the horizon, growing in size the closer they got. The atmosphere grew considerably more humid as they came upon the tropical treetops of the Amazon jungle.

"Alright, this way!" Topwing tilted slightly, descending into the canopy. Roy followed as they broke though the foliage. The mounted riders coughed briefly, swiping damp leaves, flower petals, and bugs out of their faces.

"Here we are!" Topwing announced, landing atop a thick, mossy branch, wide enough to create a walkway among the trees, high up from the jungle floor. Knowing this, the riders carefully dismounted, Marth giving support to a still tired Pit. Roy landed firmly on his feet, folding his wings and looking around.

"So... this is it?"

"No way, man, it's too deep to fly straight into. That way." Topwing gestured with his tail, and Roy led the way across the mossy bridge for some ways until he reached a wall of vines, like a door.

"Through here?"

"Yup! Go ahead!"

Slowly, Roy parted though the ratted threshold, entering a world of dragonic wonder. The others pushed through and mirrored his gape in inexplicable awe and enchantment.

"Wow..." only Link dared to breathe.

The thick jungles opened at the presence of the mighty Amazon River, its waterfalls glimmering like precious stones. A canvas of tropical green replaced the blue skies, distant trees packed together but allowing soft beams of sunlight to cascade through, lighting up the mossy log bridges like fairy dust. Vines hung from every crevice, and trees near the bank-less river drooped from wetness and seemed swampy. A rainbow of colors speckled the trees here and there in forms of flowers or butterflies, and the particular lake the seemingly endless waterfalls drained into sparkled with a magical brilliance that couldn't be obtained anywhere else.

"Welcome to the Grotto," Topwing beamed at their utter fascination.

"It's... so beautiful..." Pit choked out, trembling in allure. Nothing he had ever, _ever_ seen was as magnificent as this place, and the stunned angel had no words to express the feeling vibrating in his beating heart.

But that was nothing compared to what Roy was experiencing. His heart rejoiced at the warm aura all around him, just like his inner glow, but surrounding him from all directions. He felt as safe as a child in the womb, lukewarm tears draining from his dreamy eyes at the awesome, amazing, sensational emotion taking his soul by storm.

Marth noticed this, letting him be and turning to Topwing. He tried to inquire the dragon, but his breath was still caught in his throat, and nothing but a wheeze passed his lips.

Topwing smiled and answered the silent question. "This place is chock full of dragon magic, one of the few places in the world that is." He glanced at an entranced Roy. "Hehe, I felt like that too when Ryka first brought me here."

"Mmm. I don't blame him." The prince finally mumbled, his gaze cascading around the Grotto. "This place is... amazing..."

"Yeah...!" Link beamed in awe, his feet subconsciously moving forward.

"...W-wait, Link, look out...!"

But Marth's warning came too late as the Hylian stepped into thin air, and he tumbled over the side of the moss bridge, his scream breaking the trance.

"Oh, no!" Pit cried out as Link plummeted towards the river, but Roy held him back, smiling at the worried angel.

"Just watch. He'll be alright."

Indeed, just before Link hit the water, a green blur swiped him out of the air. The elf took a second to recover, sneezing as his face had settled in a mop of turquoise feathers. He looked up as feathery wings of the same color carried him on, the serpentine dragon he laid up flaring its frilly plume and lashing its feathery tail in triumph. Link gaped, then beamed as reality sunk in and he laughed with abandon as the flying serpent flew on.

To call the look on Pit's face a gawk would be understating. His jaw threatened to unhinge and drop to the ground. "Wha... what is that?"

Roy grinned, patting him on the shoulder. "That, my friend, is a genuine _Draco americanus mex_; a Mexican Amphithere."

"W...wow...!"

Then, as if they knew there was no danger, several other amphitheres leaped out of the trees one by one, and the jungle haven became lively with bustling energy. A flock of them swept past them as if saying hello, leaving a trail of whistling air. Raising a hand to keep his bronze locks out of his face, Pit watched them sail by with sparkling eyes of pure, youthful amazement and a wide, excited smile at this unbelievable sight that he never dreamed of witnessing.

The amphithere carrying Link swooped down to drop him off, barrel-rolling with precise timing so as the Hylian fell and landed in Marth's arms. The elf still trembled slightly from the traces of adrenaline pumping through his veins, sweat gleaming on his beaming face and angular eyes wide and rounded.

Marth gave him a most inward smirk. "So, how was the ride?"

"...Awesome..." Link squeaked.

Topwing glanced ahead, grinning. "Here she comes!"

They all looked up at a formation sweeping in from the trees, upon their sides and flashing their wings in all their splendor. Leading the flock, however, was a pair of sky blue, leather wings, smaller in comparison to the others. The group of them flew past their kin and approached the outsiders, the odd chief landing on light, booted feet before them.

It was actually a girl, around their ages, with a well-conditioned body and light clothes, torn in a few places and showing wear. She idly brushed her cardinal bangs out of her sapphire eyes and gave the mostly familiar people before her a cheerful smile. Pit noted how similar her smile was to Roy's, and it left the same impression.

"Good, you guys got the message," she greeted. "I was afraid Topwing would forget."

"Hey, not cool," the dragon smirked.

"RYKA!" Loosening his restraint at the sight of an old friend, Roy rushed at her and threw his arms around her, which was only met with a hearty laugh and a return of the embrace.

"Roy! It's so good to see you! Look at you, you've grown so much...!"

"Ryka, this place is amazing!"

"Isn't it? I finally found a place where the amphitheres can live without fear!"

"That's awesome!"

"I've been so busy bringing the amphitheres here, I never had enough time to respond to any of the letters you sent me and...!" Their excited chattering suddenly halted, and the half-dragons stared at each other deeply. Realizing how long it had truly been since she had seen his face, Ryka's smile grew warm. "Oh, Roy, I missed you...!" They exchanged another, gentle hug as the sweet reunion settled in.

"You too..."

"Naw, look at them..." Link cooed from a distance. "They look so cute."

"Wow, they're really good friends, aren't they?" Pit asked innocently.

"Ehe, yep," Marth answered a bit nervously. "They sure are."

Once they were done, Ryka asked, "Okay, so, where's the angel kid?"

"Oh, right over there." They all cleared a path between Pit and Ryka, to which the angel jumped slightly at her firm gaze. She tread up to him, leaning forward and boring her stare into his intimidated eyes. Pit didn't move a muscle as he believed the she-mamkute could read his mind with those deep azure orbs.

After she made her silent judgment of him, Ryka beamed and took his hand tightly in a handshake. "Hey there! Name's Ryka. You?"

"Uh... P... Pit..."

Ryka frowned inwardly. "What was that? Come on, where's your confidence? Speak up!"

"P-Pit!" The brunette peeped, emphasizing it with a firm return of the handshake. "M-my name's Pit."

"Pit, huh? Cute, I like it. So, you're the one who took on Ona, huh?"

"Y-yeah... that... that's me..." Pit was careful not to sulk at this, but the sadness was still clearly there.

"Aw, don't sweat it." She roughly flicked her wrist against his arm. "We're all gonna help you out, alright? Keep your chin up a bit longer, okay?"

Pit looked up at these kind words, and a smile tugged at his lips. "...Th... thank you. Really."

"Uh-huh!" Ryka stood straight and faced the group. "So, you guys need our help?"

"Yeah, and quickly," Marth replied. "We kinda have a bit of a deadline now."

"Not a problem!" Ryka clapped her hands together excitedly. "Okay, here's the deal. After I first heard of the Ona incident, I did some research and found out that the Underland can be reached by several methods, including unleashing a concentrated amount of magic in certain locations."

Roy nodded. "And the Grotto is one of those locations, right?"

"You got it. If I can gather all the dragons here to charge up their magic, they could open a door to Underland, and we could all get down there and take out Ona once and for all!"

"Sweet!" Link trilled. "And after Ona's defeated, Pit's curse will be broken, right?"

"By the natural laws of magic, it should," Ryka nodded. "But if we start soon, it would take us until morning to be fully charged."

"And we've got until tomorrow afternoon," Marth reminded.

"Then that'll be just enough time. We'd better get started then." After removing the rope around Topwing's neck and giving him a pat for a good job, Ryka gestured for him to come with her. "We'll gather them up and take care of it. For now, go ahead and relax. The purple and red fruits growing near the river are edible, but not the green ones."

The four nodded, and Ryka and Topwing took to the air, giving out similar calls that immediately caught every amphithere's attention. They all took wing and followed the pair deep up the river and through the trees to begin their task. Upon their departure, the atmosphere became serene again, only the flowing water, crashing falls, and the distant cockatoo's call breaking through the calm quiet.

"...Well... nothing to do but wait now." Roy yawned, the natural ambiance making him a bit sleepy.

Link folded his arms behind his head and took in a breath of the tropical air. "I don't got a problem with that."

Pit sighed in content and smiled. "Me neither."

----------

A couple lazy hours passed by, the quartet of friends relaxing in the tree branches while munching on the tasty river fruits to satisfy their hunger. Link and Pit had earlier taken a break to explore the Grotto, crossing the moss bridges and climbing the tall trees to see how far they could get. After reaching the canopy, the two settled in a tree some distance from Roy and Marth, but could still see them in plain sight below them.

"Man, this is so awesome," Link muttered with a mouth full of juice and pulp. He spit out a seed and watched it plink on the calm lake's surface a few seconds later. "I could so totally get used to this."

"...hmm?" Pit mumbled, not really paying attention.

Link eyed the angel. "...heh, you look distracted. What's up?" he asked, taking another squishing bite.

Pit stared out at the waterfalls. "Nothing... just... thinking of the battle coming up and... well..." He held his knees to his chest. "...I'm nervous..."

"What's there to be nervous about? You've got us backing you up!" He made a pose and tossed the empty shell of the fruit aside. "You're not alone this time!"

"I-I know that... I'm just... I'm afraid I'm going to miss that shot again..."

"What, the shot to his belly?"

"...Yeah... what if I lose my nerve and miss again...?" He shivered deeply as the results of that fear played out in his mind.

Hearing this and rolling it around in his head for a moment, Link began to chuckle to himself, finally catching Pit's full attention.

"...what's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing..." The elf wiped an imaginary smudge off his face. "...Just reminded me of myself, that's all."

This tugged at the angel's interest. "What do you mean?"

At this, Link adjusted his sitting position to one more suited to explaining himself. "Well... remember that arrow that changed you back? Yeah, it was mine, but... I didn't shoot it. I saw you, y'know, and I... well, I didn't want... um..."

Pit shut his eyes and smiled. "...You didn't want to hurt me. Because I'm your... friend."

"Yeah, that's it! And after, Marth told me to not hesitate to bring you down if it ever happens again, so you don't hurt anyone."

Pit nodded as that made perfect sense to him.

"But see, last time, I didn't take the risk. Provided I didn't know half of what was going on, I still could've tried and see what happened, but I took too long 'cause I hesitated, and look at the mess it made."

"So... what are you saying?"

"Simple, really. You can't hesitate to do what you gotta do." He poked a finger into Pit's belly. "And you can't be scared of the outcome. You do it, and it's done. You gotta take the bull by the horns and go all the way through despite the risks, y'know? 'Cause if you just do nothing, how can you reap the benefits?"

Pit thought this over. "I... suppose so."

"A lotta things we gotta do are risky 'cause we never know what's gonna happen. But _nothing_ will happen if we don't do anything, and that's worse than if something bad happens." Link paused as he soaked in the sentence he just spoke. "...am I making sense here?"

Pit lightly giggled. "Somewhat."

"Yeah, my logic's all weird. Basically you gotta take the risks in order to get things done." He began to lean back, ready to demonstrate as he flashed Pit a grin. "Otherwise life would just be boring."

And Pit watched in surprise and terror as Link casually leaned back until he rolled off the branch and fell below.

Meanwhile, Marth idly gazed around his surroundings as Roy bit into his fruit, munching in thought. When the cobalt's eyes landed on him, he grew puzzled.

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Roy replied after swallowing. "Just thinking... about the battle with Ona... not quite sure what to do..."

"Relax, you'll be fine," Marth assured. "From what I've seen, I know you're good at spontaneous combat, so just roll with the punches and it'll all work out." Searching for a change in subject, he looked up to spy the other two, engaged in conversation. "...wonder what they're talking about up there."

Sucking out the rest of the fruit's juice, Roy followed his gaze. "Uh-huh... looks like Link's ready to tumble. On purpose, too."

"What a thrill demon." Marth shook his head. "You think he remembers that all the amphitheres are with Ryka?"

"Nope."

Marth sighed as Link at last fell off. "There he goes."

"Bah, I'll go get him." Roy tossed the fruit away and outstretched his wings, watching Link carefully as he plummeted, howling in excitement. At last, he leaped into the air, swerving down and catching the elf with unexpected ease.

"Huh?" Link was perplexed by the non-feathery wings in his vision. With no need to look down to know who it was, the Hylian moaned in disappointment. "Aww, I didn't want _you_ to catch me!"

"You nimrod! The amphitheres are all with Ryka!" Roy called out, disgruntled.

"Aw, _man_! That sucks."

"What the hell are you trying to prove, pulling off a stunt like that?"

"...Look, it's not what it looks like, okay?" Link sighed. "Just take me back up to Pit and I'll explain."

Roy grunted in withdrawn frustration, but did so anyway, landing firmly in their gathering spot and setting Link down. "Alright, start explaining."

"Gimme a minute, jeez!" He scowled at the half-dragon, then faced a flustered Pit. "_Anyways_... see there, I took a risk!"

Pit blinked, trying to wrap his mind around all this. "...to seek thrills?" he meekly ventured.

"Exactly!" Link beamed. "Getting the thrills would be considered the benefits. Didn't go as I would've hoped, but still, better then if I didn't go for it, right?"

Pit grew increasingly confused, but nodded all the same. "O...okay."

Link grew a bit more serious. "And you: you won't defeat Ona unless you take the shot. That make sense?"

This slowly dawned on Pit. "...ah, I see..."

"Is _that_ what this is all about?" Roy gawked, then made a face towards Link. "...You have weird ways of delivering inspiration."

"Hey, you got your way, I've got mine," Link defended wily. "I prefer to use visual demonstrations."

"That one didn't really help much, though," Pit cut in, instantly regretting it as they both turned his way. But the imp only grinned inwardly.

"Oh, yeah? Lemme try another." He turned down to spy Marth below, leaning over slightly and calling out, "Hey, Marth! Come up here and join us!"

The prince paused before he replied, "Oh, fine! Get Roy to come get me!"

Link flashed a grin visible from even their distance. "Why don't you climb up here yourself?"

Marth's gape was also quite visible. "Are you crazy?"

"What's the matter, Marthy, are you _CHICKEN_?" The elf then proceeded to make a spectacle of himself, imitating the farm fowl with a straight walk, a flap of invisible wings, and highly obnoxious clucking noises. Pit giggled while Roy rubbed the bridge of his nose in vexation.

As expected, Marth finally answered Link's taunting with a "Fine then, punk!" and began to climb upwards.

Link went back to Pit's side. "Okay, now watch him." Pit nodded, noticing as Marth's rapidity in his climb decreased every time he glanced downwards. "He's a wee bit afraid of heights, so right there, he's already taking a risk. The worse turnout would be him falling." All three flinched when Marth lost his footing, the catch of a branch swiftly saving him. "Whoa... Roy, could you catch him if he _does_ fall? This is only a demonstration."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Roy rolled his eyes, but positioned himself to take air whenever he needed to.

"But he's taking the risk because of the possible benefits, which are... um..."

"Coming up here to kick your ass," Roy finished bluntly.

"Exactly!" Link paused briefly as he realized this, but turned back to Pit anyways. "B-but there, see, he wouldn't get to... well, kick my ass, so to speak, if he didn't try, right? Plus, if he _does_ fall, Roy's here to catch him! Sometimes there're factors that effect the consequences, too. Even if you miss the shot, we can distract Ona to give you another chance!"

Pit slowly nodded. "I see..."

"Yep. And as a bonus, I get to punch Link in the face."

"That's ri-huh?" Link turned right into a fist, clogging him square between the eyes. He twirled around in a daze for a second, then managed to get out, "...see? As a b-bonus, Marth got to punch me in the face."

Pit tittered lightly as Marth rolled his eyes and Link shook himself back into normalcy.

"But there, do you get it now?" he asked.

The angel nodded. "Yeah, I got it. I just gotta not worry and take the shot. No hesitation."

"Right on!" The blonde clapped him on the chest. "Took you long enough!"

"Hey, now, considering your thought process, I can't blame him," Roy cut in.

"That and you being a total boob," Marth coughed wryly.

"Hey, that's harsh!" The trio laughed at each other's antics like they always did as Pit soaked the lecture in, hoping to follow the new resolve as he gazed down through the lake, deep where the epitome of all his troubles lay at rest and in wait.

----------

Ad he continued to let all that pass through his mind in thought, well into the night. The four had moved to a plank walk constructed with laced vines, and all but him were asleep. Roy was curled up in his cape (he withdrew his wings for the night), Marth was upon his side, his hands loosely gripping the vine mat, and Link was sprawled out, hat over his eyes and contributing a light snore to the natural noises of the night. Hugging his knees close, Pit stared into the trees, indigo in the twilight of a jungle evening.

"Can't sleep?" Pit jumped slightly at the sudden voice behind him, turning to face Ryka, cloth weaved with amphithere feathers draped around her arm. She noticed his stare, eyeing the textile. "...oh, don't worry, they were molted first."

At that unquestioned answer, Pit nodded as she draped the blankets over his slumbering companions. "Amphithere feathers really hold in heat," she whispered, chuckling as Link snorted in his sleep and cocooned the feather blanket close. She then handed one to Pit. "You should get your sleep too."

"Mmm, I know." He took it slowly, fingering the fabric. "I just... can't sleep. Dunno why."

"It's called anxiety. Everyone gets it at least once before the moment of fate in their lives." She patted his shoulder. "But forty winks could be the difference between victory and defeat. Remember that."

Pit slowly nodded. "...Alright. I'll try."

"Before you nod off, though..." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial with a painfully familiar lavender liquid inside. "Take this, it'll get you through the night."

Pit cringed. "Aww, man..."

"Don't 'aww man' me," Ryka scolded. "Take it, or else all this dragon magic alone will trigger the curse."

With this reminder, Pit took it and downed it in one gulp, coughing in revulsion. Without an exchange of words, Ryka held out a flask of water and the angel quickly took it and cleansed his mouth of the horrid taste, sheepishly handing it back.

"Okay. Get your sleep so you can take on Ona properly tomorrow."

Pit tried to ignore the hidden magnitude of that casually-spoken statement as he laid down, clutching his blanket tightly. He watched as Ryka gave him a smile and left for wherever she belonged, and noticed as his inner heat cycled through and was trapped within his cover. This and his curled-up wings provided him with a comfortable warmth. At last, fatigue caught up with him, and the nocturnal creatures' lullaby sent him into a dreamless sleep.

----------

A/N: HOLY mother of Mario, that was long. XD

Roy: (fallen asleep) Zzzzzz...

Eliwood: (pokes him) ...son?

Wow, this came out of NOWHERE. The Grotto wouldn't have happened if inspiration didn't hit me via a lovely poster I saw and bought at the Aquarium of the Pacific. I had to have it so that inspiration wouldn't go away, and now it's right next to my bed, and I wake up to its beauty every morning. :)

Link: ...you forgetting something?

OH YEAH! Last chapter I had a footnote under **(1)** that I forgot to include at the end. MY BAD! (cough) Anyways, it points out that Welsh Red Dragons belong respectively to children's books author/artist Greame Base. I grew up with his beautiful books.

So, yeah, that's about it. Review, please, while I work on the next chapter!


	8. Moment of Fate

A/N: Alright! Man, call this chapter butter, 'cause it was ON A ROLL when I was writing it!

Eliwood: Oh, WHATEVER. Like anyone's gonna laugh at that.

Link and Roy: XDDDDDDDDD

Eliwood: ...(sigh)...

So now that it's finished, let's get it started! W00t!

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Chapter 8: Moment of Fate

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----

Morning came almost too soon, but they knew they were ready. Something deep down within each of them bellowed a battle cry against a foe of dragon-kin and oppressor of their innocent friend. It was time to deliver where justice was due.

Well rested, they were suited up and brought back to the lake, where all the amphitheres were in the trees, closing a circle around the area as they awaited their command.

Ryka faced the four. "Are you guys all ready?"

Roy nodded confidently, and Link and Marth gave equally agreeing nods. Pit let out a staggered, nervous sigh and gave out his own nod.

"Alright. Let's start by opening the door." She turned to Topwing, and he nodded knowingly. In unison, they faced the center of the circle, and they both began with a soft whistle.

Awakened from their gargoyle-like stillness, the amphitheres flared their feathery plumes and released caterwauling cries in response, taking flight in synchronism. They flew in a circle above the lake, and Ryka, wings formed, leaped down and hovered in the center, in a meditating trance.

Roy gasped and stumbled back into Marth's arms at the heavy concentration of dragon magic around him, every bit of it within the Grotto all gathering to this specific area. It was so strong, even Pit, with his trace amounts of the blood, could feel it float past him towards the circle.

When all with the blood knew every bit of charged power was within the circle, Ryka gestured down towards the lake, and the energy exploded.

Roy had to be caught by the other three to prevent from being blown away.

Ryka and the dragons floated trembling to the release, but kept as rigid as possible as the lake began to swirl and became a whirlpool. The walls of the cyclone bore deep down until they framed a dark hole- their portal to their next great battle, where their fiery enemy laid in wait.

The amphitheres returned to their original spots in their synchronized danced and stared intently at the door they had opened.

Ryka came back up to the others, sighing in exhaustion. "Well, there's your door. Now got get 'em."

They had been staring anxiously at the opening, like a great beast's gaping mouth, when Roy glanced up at Ryka at her statement. "You're not coming with us...?"

"I can't, Roy," she responded exasperatedly, straightening up. "I have to stay up her with the amphitheres. The dragon part of your offense..." She grasped his shoulder firmly. "...is up to you."

Roy blanched, hesitating. Ryka read into his fears like an open book.

"I believe in you, Roy. You've got an inner power and fierce determination I have yet to see in any other half-dragon I've met. And I mean that."

"...Really?"

"Truly. Don't be afraid to utilize your power. Ona deserves none of your mercy. Got it?"

Roy nodded slowly, glancing down into the hole. "...Yeah."

A few moments passed, anxiety ruling over their nerves. Someone needed to take the first leap, and Ryka knew exactly who it would be and how to get them to jump down.

She gave Roy a sideward glance, smiling slyly. "Want some motivation?"

"Huh?" Roy turned... "What do you m..."

...and her lips swallowed his question, his blue eyes flaring up in expected surprise. But at her sweet-tasting kiss, they slid closed and he let it come. At that connection, a warm, fluttery feeling cycled through his chest, like his internal flame, yet only activating during moments like these. The glow thawed the ice that had crystallized from his fears, and all his anxiety melted away. The path was clear.

As the kiss was delivered, Pit looked on in mild shock. He knew they were close, but he never expected the two to be _that_ close. He looked to the other two; Link was beaming like a little kid, whereas Marth only sighed and smiled. It was obvious that this didn't come as a shock to either one of them. When the shock passed, it became honest joy and content as the cosmos brought someone special to the truly-deserving mamkute. And Pit couldn't help but mirror that same feeling.

At last they parted. Roy's eyes opened slowly as if awakening from a deep sleep, facing Ryka's lovely smile that warmed the profound recesses of his heart.

"..So?"

A smirk crept into his face. "..._now_ I'm ready to take him down." Hastily, he delivered one last smooch to Ryka's cheek, then faced the door boldly, crouched his knees, and took the leap, diving like a professional swimmer as he plummeted into the dark hole, his figure disappearing below.

The other three watched him go, rooted in surprise. Then Link turned and beamed at the other two.

"Hey... no hesitation, remember?" He leaned his weight forward until he too fell, his cheers of excitement echoing against the water walls, flowing slowly.

Pit was convinced well enough, and he would've taken the next jump, but he looked to the side to notice Marth still relatively petrified beside him. Knowing his fear of heights, without a second though he took the prince's hand, catching his attention.

"...wanna jump together?"

"Ah..." Marth tightened his grip anxiously, but nodded all the came. "Alright."

Swinging their arms and counting in unison, they jumped on 3, plunging into the deep, with Pit folding his wings in a fearless dive and Marth shutting his eyes tightly. Ryka and the dragons watched as the darkness enveloped them, waiting in silence. The hole closed up slowly, and after some time, the lake was still again.

"...Okay, they should be down there by now," Ryka announced at last, rummaging through her pocket to pull out a draught in another vial (a mix of dissolved scale of dragon and buttercup **(1) **to create glowing reflections of the desired divination below the surface), pouring it down into the lake. Corking it and putting it away, she paused. "...huh?" She pulled out another vial, full of lavender liquid, and paled ever so slightly.

"...oops."

----------

Darkness. Pitch. Black. Darkness.

That's all there was for just a few seconds. That and the pungent stench of dirt and moss and charred rubble.

There then came a snap of the fingers, and a small flame flickered into existence atop the lighter's thumb.

Roy blew on it warmly until it grew to a proper torch's size, moving it around until he found his friends standing right beside him.

"...whoa..." Link blinked at their surroundings.

"...I guess we're in," Marth assumed.

"W-w-we are," Pit trembled, but more from physical reactions in his blood than fear. "I-I can feel him. He's very, very close."

"Me too," Roy agreed. He glanced down a tunnel his instincts were pointing to, his eyes narrowing. "This way."

Shakily, Pit reached into his toga. "...Do we need more light...?"

"No, no, keep your rings hidden. We'll want to surprise him if we can."

"...alright."

Silently, they marched down the corridor. As they went further and further, even Link and Marth could feel the dark energy omitting from their foe, awaiting them at the end of their path.

As Marth kept walking, his heart racing in anticipation of the confrontation ahead, jumped slightly when something clenched at his tunic and pulled down slightly. He glanced down at Pit, who looked like he had just saved himself from falling over.

"Hey, you alright, Pit?" he asked, concerned.

"...uh..." Hastily, the angel straightened up, hiding his shivers. "Y-yeah, I'm fine..."

And they continued on. And on. And on.

"...GAH! This is taking too long!" Link groaned.

Normally Roy and Marth would tell him firmly to shut up, but even they knew they had walked too far. The tunnel still stretched on before them, seeming to never end.

Roy's eyes scanned the walls warily. He knew Ona was close- _extremely_ close- but seemed to be no where in sight. At least to the naked human eye.

The half-dragon moved the flame into his palm and waved it before him, watching the transparent waves of heat move intently. When they dissipated quickly, as if they hit a solid object, Roy saw the trap, his eyes flaring in surprise and rage.

"Everybody get back! It's an illusion!" he roared to the others as he himself back away. "SHOW YOURSELF, ONA!"

In response, the gaping tunnel quivered and waved, like the broken surface of water, fading to create a cavern ending the tunnel. But what was at the end was anything but a hopeful light.

Sitting at a relic like a vengeful god was a coal-black dragon, immense in size and spinities, tail and earflaps topped with cruel menacing spikes. His horns were curved like the Devil's, razor sharp teeth stained with the blood of his last meal. Even his jet black wings seemed sharp enough to slice through metal, as well as that steely gaze from glowing crimson eyes, cold and soulless, directed right at the mamkute standing before him.

Roy growled, clenching a fist. "_Ona..._"

"_Yes..._" the dark dragon hissed in fluent Dragon Tongue, accompanied by a wick smirk. "_...At last we meet._" He coiled out of his sitting position, uncurling into several feet in length, never breaking his gaze with Roy. "_...dragon to half-dragon._"

Roy exploded with rage. "**_YOU!_**" he snarled in the Tongue as well, their words unintelligible to the other intimidated ones. "_You call yourself a dragon with such pride, and yet you have slaughtered innocents in your rampage! And when one has the bravery to fight back, you curse his existence and continue to needlessly cause him pain and sorrow! No such monster has the right to the name of dragon-kin!_"

"_...Idealistic fool,_" Ona snorted. "_A true dragon knows he is superior than those below him, and a true dragon knows to keep the lower scum in their place._" His great head lowered closer. "_You, on the other hand, my dear half-brother-of-blood, have a better chance of..._"

Roy shrieked, sweeping a slash of fire before Ona's snout, forcing his to withdraw.

"_...Do not even try,_" he grumbled hotly. "_And I have not the shame of sharing my blood with yours._"

This intrigued Ona. "_...mmm? And what of your friend? Is he not shamed?_"

Roy saw through this instantly, his fierce will undaunted by honeyed words. "_You forced the blood into him. You gave him no choice. I hold no shame on his shoulders._"

"_...Very well._" Ona straightened up, a grand move for one of his size. "_Then you are willing to boldly face me for his sake?_"

"_For more than just his sake..._" Roy took a furious stance. "_...for the sake of all good dragon-kin!_"

And then he fell and dug his hands (and talons) into the dirt to bite back the inner pain as he fiercely commanded his transformation to take hold. Ona witnessed without movement as the boy stretched and twisted before him, forcing the dragon within him out, which, at least to the dark dragon's knowledge, would prove to be a fatal mistake.

The cerulean dragon now before him took a few breaths of recuperation, looking up and giving him an enraged glare from unchanged eyes through wild red locks. Flaring his wings, Roy let out a roar of challenge, which Ona returned before they charged and met fiercely in a flurry of claws, teeth, and brute force. The battle had begun.

Wisely, the three had backed off towards the tunnel exit, a spectator's distance away as the duel unfolded. Marth watched anxiously as things already started looking bad in his eyes.

"Oh, this is _not_ good..." he muttered. "Ona's _huge_... Roy's barely _half_ his size...!"

"When's that ever stopped our little guy?" Link grinned. It faded instantly when he glanced down. "...huh? Pit?"

The angel was swaying numbly, the atmosphere dulling his senses. He barely knew it when he lost his balance and fell back into the arms of the confused Link and Marth. His foggy gaze saw the concern in their faces above him, but their voices fell upon deaf ears as the last bit of his active consciousness was focused upon the foreign words his blood had automatically translated to him.

_I hold no shame on his shoulders._

"..._no shame..._" he breathed almost dreamily.

"Huh? Did he say something?"

"I dunno... He _growled_ something, that much I can tell."

"You don't think he's..."

Pit shut his eyes as it began. _No shame..._

Ona paused in mid-swing of his claw, his blood trying to tell him something important before Roy took the chance to headbutt him in the burly chest, knocking him away. As he hit the dirt with a tremor, he mentally cursed at his own distraction and at the very shot he had been trying to deliver on his opponent. It seemed Roy was well aware of his weakness, taking all measures and using all maneuvers to protect it. Even now as Ona got up and glared maliciously, the mamkute held a front-end crouching stance, wings flared threateningly as he only returned the glare, a snarl tugging at the corner of his round snout.

And then, behind his enemy, Ona spotted the others, the angel with his blood laying in the others' arms.

But of course. A trump card. The advantage swung his way again.

"_...Tired already?_ Roy snorted.

"_We have only started, half-dragon. But I wonder... how long will HE last before he loses his battle?_"

Roy flinched. He completely forgot bout Pit. He turned quickly just to see Marth pull Link away from the convulsing angel, and all knew what was happening. The potion wore away, and near the very source of his curse, resistance to its power was hopeless.

"PIT!"

"_Too late, fool,_" Ona hissed. "_When the blood takes over, there is no going back._"

Roy moved back between the two as what was once Pit rose very slowly, the white feathers rolling away like molted skin to reveal dark scythe wings, identical to those of the one who cursed him. His claws extended menacingly as he leered towards Roy, his empty ivory eyes mirroring his blood-brother's glare, as if he was a smaller reflection of Ona. When he began to saunter over, Roy only found himself backing away further.

"_I have seen you. You do everything you can for the sake of those who care for you..._"

Pit made a split-second pause in his canter, but continued as his instincts commanded.

"_...so would you be willing to bring down those same beings if they turned their back on you...?_"

Roy cringed deeply. He was trapped, hopelessly trapped between his goal and his possessed friend, who began to expedite his pace until his trot became a charge. Caught in an inescapable situation, Roy could not bring himself to a decision before Pit leaped, posed to pounce atop his prey.

But at the peak of his jump, a glowing projectile slammed into his hip with a flash, and he instantly shrieked in mortal pain as the magic light took its course. It faded slightly to reveal an arrow planted in his flesh.

"_WHAT?_" Ona screeched.

With a blast of feathers, Pit lost his momentum, landing limply at Roy's clawed feet, much to his surprise. The half-dragon stared at the angel (now back to normal), then glanced up at his friends, with Link still holding his bow in a releasing pose.

..._Whoa..._ The elf was hit with an odd sense of anti-irony. _...I did it. I took the shot._

"Finally!" Marth delivered a rough pat to the bewildered Hylian before hurrying into the battlefield, taking hold of Pit and addressing Roy. "I'll get him outta your way."

"...Careful," was all Roy could get out, a subtle equivalent to 'thank you' as the prince dragged Pit away from that awful dilemma, and with minimal damage too.

"_Meddling pests!_" Ona cursed.

With the doubt removed, Roy turned to meet him again. "_We may individually be pests to your power... but when we all act together, there is nothing that can stop us... not even you._"

Ona howled in fury at such insolence, charging in attack, and they met once more.

Meanwhile, Marth got Pit out of the way, meeting Link halfway, and they both inspected the injured angel hastily. Other than the arrow in his side, however, Pit seemed just fine. He was even able to arouse somewhat, moaning in weakness.

"...Pit?"

"...unh..." His blue eyes fluttered open. "Wh... what happened...?"

"You transformed again," Marth answered softly, gesturing to Link. "But he shot you with his Light Arrow before anything could happen, so... yeah."

Pit rolled his gaze between each of them and his black-bloodied wound a few times, landing finally on Link, and the blonde was given a weak yet knowing smile. "Th... thank you... Link."

"...hehe! No prob!" he replied sheepishly. "S'what I came for!"

Pit nodded weakly, hoping to lay back in their protective hold and get his rest until the crucial moment, but when he glanced past them at the glowing red glaring eyes, that hope was instantly dashed.

"L-look out...!"

At his pointing finger, Link and Marth twirled around, cried out in horror, and grabbed Pit, much to his surprise, moving him away before Ona's claw came down upon their previous, once safe spot.

Ona would've given chase, but Roy tackled him from behind, determined not to allow any of the others to get hurt. Him and Pit had already sustained injuries, green and black blood flowing freely from open, agitated wounds, and he hoped red blood would not join them.

But then Ona bucked him off, and he was left propped on his legs. The despicable dragon took his chance and headbutted straight into Roy's chest. **_Hard._**

Roy grunted and gasped, widened his eyes and shut them tight in immense pain, coughing up emerald blood before he was forced to collapse. Ona snorted upon his weakened state, then turned away to face the other three, or at least the angel. He swiftly knocked the other, unimportant two away with a sweep of his head, not wavering in his stride towards his goal.

Pit tried to scamper away, but the wound in his side hindered his progress. He whimpered as he squeezed it painfully, his hateful black blood staining his fingers. He turned over on his back helplessly, only to look up into menacing, soulless red eyes that pierced into his terrified blue orbs, digging deep into his soul and grabbing what he deeply knew as his subconscious. Ona now had absolute control.

_Transform._

Pit gasped in horror and inner pain as he felt the pulls and stretches he came to recognize. "No... n-n-no...!"

"_Do not resist it, dear blood-brother. You are destined to serve as my vessel, and together we shall walk the path of destruction._"

"No..._no...NOOOO!_" Put let out an unearthly howl he barely knew he had produced, but held on to the tiny shred of his conscious left and didn't let go.

"_You are a fool to resist. No matter, we shall fix that after... GRARGH!_" A shiny blade suddenly struck him across the muzzle, successfully drawing his attention towards the other two, where Marth had unsheathed his thin sword and Link had another arrow notched in his bow.

"Whatever you're doing to Pit, leave him alone!" Marth threatened, brandishing dragon-slaying Falchion. "You've caused him enough pain!"

"Now you're taking on a round with us!" Link finished, wasting no time in releasing the arrow into Ona's jaw with a flash of light, causing the dark dragon the screech in agitation and pursue the obnoxious meddlers to rid them once and for all.

With Ona distracted, Roy was free to glance up weakly, cringing at his injured ribs as he attempted to pull himself back up. When he found Pit lying some ways away, however, the pain seemed to vanish, and Roy scampered over to his side, nearly collapsing in sheer exhaustion.

"Pit!" he hoarsely called out to the angel, caught in his self-struggle. "Pit, I'm here! _Look_ at me!"

Very slowly, in a shaky movement, Pit turned his head and opened his eyes, which surprised Roy. The poor thing was trembling all over, but as the half-dragon realized, it was not from weakness; Pit was concentrating every last bit of his power in resisting the once irresistible- a direct command from his subconscious, forced upon him like a lab rat forced to run a complicated maze. All of this was revealed to Roy with one glance into those large eyes; they were certainly afraid, terrified, but there was an almost visible flame lit behind them, brewing true confidence and courage.

"..._R...Roy..._" he hissed, his slow transformation forcing Dragon Tongue to pass his lips. "_I cannot... keep it up... It hurts... a lot..._"

"Hang in there, Pit, you're doing great!" His clawed fingers wrapped around Pit's, who clenched back tightly. "Now listen to me. Let it go. Loosen your resistance."

Pit's eyes snapped open. "_...no... You... are not serious...!_"

"Just do it, Pit. I wanna try something. You resisting will only make it harder for me."

After some time, Pit finally consented, and his trembles of effort ceased. He moaned as he felt his insides twist and turn, though he kept his grip on Roy's hand like a lifeline, keeping him relatively stable.

Roy wanted this to stop as soon as possible, so at their tight connection, he concentrated intensely and dove in.

By now him and his subconscious had come to good terms, and it trusted his commands and obeyed as he sent it into Pit, searching for the angel's own subconscious.

"Come on... where is it..." he muttered to himself. He looked up as Pit's ears stretched and flared. It had begun, meaning they had little time left. "Come on, come o...!"

He found it, brushing up against it. Pit twitched as if a sensitive nerve had been struck. Roy took a firm grip on it before he could lose it, then began his own commands.

_Stop! Stop the transformation!_

There came no response. Pit's face pushed out its heavy snout.

_Stop! Stop it!_

Pit's clenched hand grew wicked claws, digging deep into Roy's knuckles.

**_STOP!_**

Then everything froze. Pit's eyes, unchanged, snapped open in pure shock as the process halted. They then slowly slid shut as his stretched fibers relaxed, his face and ears retracting back to their normal shape. His hand loosened its grip on Roy's, its claws withdrawing until his slightly chubby fingers retained their original contour. When it was all over, Pit eased, fluttering his eyes open and rolling his head to the side to meet Roy's triumphant grin.

"...You... you did it..." he mumbled weakly. "Y-you stopped it... I-I heard you, you... stopped it..."

"Yup, I sure did." Roy's grin grew. "And thanks to you, I think I've now got the upper hand."

Pit paused in thought, and it instantly came to him. With their personal connection, the angel knew better than anyone else what Roy meant by that.

"...Got for it."

Roy nodded, standing on all fours as he began his own process.

Link was knocked away by Ona, rolling across the dirt before colliding roughly with the wall. Marth hurried to his side, or at least as hurriedly as he could while he as well was bruised and battered.

"Link, you alright?" he exclaimed, flipping him over and making an aghast frown at his black eye.

"Nyah... is the ride over yet?" he croaked deliriously, shedding light on his situation.

Marth propped him against the wall. "Keep back, buddy. You've seen enough action." He pat the elf's shoulder, cringing and clutching his own arm after the movement. Maybe he himself needed a break too.

But then he looked up, seeing Pit lying between a stiff Roy and Ona, pausing for some reason once he laid eyes upon the half-dragon. Whatever was going to happen next, Marth knew it would be dangerous for Pit if he were to continue to lie out there in the open. So the cobalt hurried over and took him by the shoulders, surprised by both his calmed state and how neither dragon made a move to stop him. Nevertheless, Marth dragged Pit away to that same wall, laying him next to Link, who had recovered and was now watching the event with wide eyes.

"...whoa..." he breathed. "What' happening to Roy...?"

"...his inner powers' opened..." Pit explained whimsically. "...he reached out, m-met my subconscious, and manipulated it... and that in turn opened the way to the rest of his power... his ultimate power..."

"Seriously?" Marth turned his own gaze, and they all watched in utter amazement as Roy underwent his ultimate transformation.

His entire blue dragon body grew in size and stretched further, his spinities and spiked spurs of his wings sharpening intensely, the true length, that of a true dragon. His abnormal clawed hands shifted into real curved claws, and his talons grew to match them. His auburn lock untamed to an extreme, extending halfway down his neck like a proud mane; even so, his ivory horns and flared earflaps managed to peek their way through. His snout elongated into a sleek yet powerful masculine muzzle, nearly erasing his round human characteristics. When it was all done, what they used to recognize as their friend Roy now looked like a real-live dragon, straightening up on all fours in a nearly exalted stance as he took time to recover.

Link and Marth's eyes looked ready to pop out of their skulls, they were so wide.

"...whoa..."

"No way...!"

Pit smiled weakly yet confidently. "Our chances just got a lot better."

Ona was rooted in genuine dread. "_...Impossible... You... did not just...!_"

"_I did._" Roy's slit eyes snapped open, retaining their clear blue color and lit by burning flames of determined rage. "_You have gained power by controlling the subconscious of others. So have I. But your power is nothing compared to those with the **real** blood._"

Ona trembled in equal fear and fury. A soft growl in his throat grew into a furious roar, and the dark dragon leaped at Roy, and for the third time they engaged in combat, though this time the tables had turned.

"_FOOL!_" Ona bellowed, barely able to dodge a whipped tail. "_How can you, blessed with the blood, give aid to those lower than you?_"

"_I do not,_" Roy replied fiercely, crouching for his next advance. "_You are the only one lower than me!_"

He pounced as Ona reared up, and the two's forelimbs met, upon their back talons and caught in a deadlock. Only brute force would succeed in this struggle, and already Ona was falling back. Deep down, he knew he was finished.

However, what he did not expect was a comet of light to pierce through the spot on his belly- his weak spot.

His red eyes widened in terror as he felt the light cycle through his complexly-constructed body and reach the center, and his artificial heart shattered upon impact. He let out an unbearable shriek of defeat and staggered back as his ebony hide began to melt, white vapors escaping his jaws with a hiss. He collapsed like a punctured balloon, the icy steam enveloping his form from view, hovering close to the walls and ceiling of the cavern. When it all died away, at a surprised Roy's feet laid Ona's molten skin, bubbling slightly and hardening over quickly, leaving the impression of a forever slumbering dragon in the stonework. His jaws were fixedly open, like a silent eternal scream, the menacing light in his eyes extinguished. **(2)**

A genuine silence held the room for some time. Roy stared at the remains of his enemy reflectively, then turned to glance back at the others. Link and Marth mirrored his movement, and now all eyes were trained on Pit, who shakily held the Sacred Bow of Palutena.

"...There," he breathed at last. "I took the shot."

Identical grins graced all their faces, and a tiny sense of victory came to Pit as his was flooded with praise.

"Alright! Woo, go you!" Link slapped his chest. "Told ya it would all work out!"

"You did it, Pit!" Marth cried triumphantly. "You took the shot and you _did it!_"

"We _all_ did it," Roy corrected as he steeped closer to rejoin them. "We worked together to bring Ona down."

"Yeah! ...huh?" Link glanced past Roy at the dark dragon's liquefied corpse. "Wait, what's that?"

The "that" he was referring to was movement from within the half-open mouth. They braced themselves for anything, but all that came out was a tiny little brown lizard, scuttling across the still warm molten skin.

Marth blinked. "A... lizard?"

"...oh, right!" Roy sought to explain. "Ona was created from alchemy, right? Well, alchemists have yet to discover how to create life, so they have to borrow it from other organisms. Skilled alchemists can take small critters and make them into something as powerful as Ona." He glanced over at the lizard, who skittered around in circles, hopelessly confused. "...Guess when we defeated him, he was broken down to his original ingredient." **(2)**

"Whoa... far out," Link muttered, watching as it streaked past them. "Should we catch it?"

"No, let it go. It's an innocent victim."

More silence fell as they all had their eyes on the poor perplexed creature, awkwardly scampering away in a mix of puzzlement, desperation, and maybe even humiliation.

"Poor thing," Marth finally lamented, but the subject at hand changed once something else caught his eye. "...hey! Pit, _look!_"

Pit threw him a befuddled look, then looked down at his wound. He paused, seeing what Marth and the others were seeing, but not quite believing it. Slowly and shakily, he reached down and traced his finger around the base of the arrow still in his flesh and still drawing out blood. Bringing it to his face for closer examination, he stared shocked at his stained fingertip.

Mostly black, but a streak of red in between.

Unbelieving, Pit clenched the arrow and yanked it out, ignoring the pain and the shouts of surprise from the others. With teary eyes of relief, he watched crimson blood flow from the aggravated wound, washing away his cursed blood.

He was free.

Seeing this, Link, Marth, and Roy rejoiced with him as he laughed and cried at the same time and exploding with emotion as the true sense of victory hit him as full force. This had been the true goal, and now that it was met, the reprieve was that much sweeter. No more danger. No more exhaustion. No more fear. It was all over.

"...I-it's over... i-i-it's all o-over...!" he sobbed happily.

"See? _Told_ ya we could do it!" Link proclaimed proudly.

"...um, 'scuse me." Roy poked his long snout between them, surprising them slightly. "That's awesome and all, but... if we don't heal that wound of yours, Pit, you could bleed to death. Seriously."

Pit yelped at this sudden realization, his hand instantly moving back to his wound to try to cover it.

Marth glanced between himself and Link, coughing. "...uh, we're not doing too well either..."

Roy sighed, stepping back. "Everybody stay still for a sec."

They obeyed, not daring to move a muscle. Roy concentrated, lighting that certain Soft flame, and slowly blowing it out as a sky blue fire.

Pit gasped as the flames engulfed them, but the sensation he felt calmed him instantly. The fire that surrounded him seemed more like a cool breeze passing by, and most of the ache in his body was swept away with it. When it died away he paused to let the moment pass, then sat up, glancing at the stained tear in his toga in surprise as he saw that the injury had disappeared, with only a light scar left as its trace. He looked up at Link and Marth, who also looked as good as new, feeling their once hurt areas with satisfaction.

Roy breathed out a tired rush of air. "There. Now, how do you feel, Pit?"

The angel didn't respond immediately, slowly and purposefully getting to his feet. He wobbled a bit, but quickly steadied himself, as if he was adjusting to a new body. Then, when he was ready, he broke into a run, and at the right moment, with all his might, he pushed off the ground, his wings flaring spectacularly. The movement held so much raw power it overwhelmed its spectators, like watching patriotic rockets burst in the air with earth-shattering explosions.

Laughing gaily, Pit performed flips and loop-de-loops for his cheering crowd below, cycling the cavern several times in his rejuvenating flight. It felt so long ago since his ability to fly brought him this much energy, this much happiness, this much freedom.

Caught up in the moment, Pit's flight abruptly ended when he collided with something soft and lean. Looking up, he found himself laying upon Roy's snout, staring straight into the half-dragon's large eyes.

"I suppose you're feeling pretty good," Roy assumed.

"Uh-huh!" Pit wrapped his arms as far around his muzzle as he could in a grateful hug. "...all thanks to you... th-thank you so much, Roy..."

"Hey, what're we, chopped liver?" Pit glanced downwards, beamed, then leaped off his perch and flew straight into Link and Marth, catching them in both his arms.

"Th-thank you guys too!" he exclaimed with sheer sincerity in his choked-up words. "I... I wouldn't be here... now... without you..."

After brief sentiment was exchanged, they looked at the column of light that had opened in the middle of the cavern, its sparkles traveling in an upwards pull to the top.

"Looks like the dragons are taking us back up." Roy faced the group levelly. "...I'm going to transform back. Don't be surprised if I'm out for a few days, I'm already exhausted as it is."

"'Course not," Marth assured.

At his consent, Roy shut his serpentine eyes and began to shrink, his dragon features withdrawing slowly as he purposely took his time. After a small flicker of light when the process was complete, they were at the side of an already unconscious Human Roy. Pit looked upon the slumbering mamkute humbly as Marth lifted him into his arms, mumbling in his sleep.

_Get your rest, Roy... You deserve every bit you need._

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**(1)** According to Merlin's _Wizardology_, Scale of Dragon, when dissolved in sulfuric acid, makes an invisible ink that glows in the full moon, and the Buttercup (or Toe of Frog) can tell if someone likes butter with a reflection in the flower's nectar. I figured combining them would create a solution for easy divination in magical areas.

**(2)** Both sections here were equally inspired by _Dragon Rider_.

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A/N: Okay. This is good. I'm managing both this and homework. GO ME!

Link and Roy: GO YOU!

Eliwood: ...(has run into a sarcastic slump) ...CURSES!

Okay, I got one chapter left, and I still have to finish writing it, but it's getting there! Don't worry! We're almost there! Please review!


	9. A New, Strong Ally

A/N: Sorry for the extremely long wait! Blame school on that one! Alright, so, last chapter! Let's get it on!

Roy: Aw... does that mean this is IT? WAAAHHHHH!

Link: (comforts him)

Eliwood: ...I've run out of things to say, so I'll just shut up.

Good choice. Last chappie!

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Chapter 9: A New, Strong Ally

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What they returned to was an overwhelming round of celebration as the Grotto rejoiced at their new heroes' victory. The amphitheres chattered and screeched merrily, some gathering around a flustered Marth, though he welcomed their excited chirps. Link was circling Topwing as the two lunked heads and laughed in triumph.

Pit was kneeling by Roy, who was sleeping in a branch against the tree trunk and oblivious to all the noise around him, when the angel noticed Ryka approaching with a big smile and a hearty "there you are!" He got to his feet quickly to meet her and hear what she had to say.

"So, we saw everything, obviously... I like how you didn't just stick to the sidelines."

"Oh, of course not."

"_And_..." She grinned knowingly. "...I'm impressed that you had the sheer will to resist your subconscious."

Knowing what she meant, Pit soaked that in, smiling shyly to his feet.

"Not a lot of people can do that, y'know," she pointed out. "But you did, and that gave Roy the chance to stop it for you. And _that_ in turn released the rest of his hidden power."

Pit glanced backwards at the asleep half-dragon. "...do all half-dragons have that much power...?"

"Nope. Only a rare few. It requires a near-complete mastery of your subconscious. _I'm_ still working on that." Ryka gazed fondly at Roy. "...I knew he had it in him. Ever since I met him he had that spark that endlessly fueled him on... He's come a long way in such a short amount of time."

Pit found himself glancing Roy's way as well. "Yeah... I know. After that happened, I... I feel like I know him a lot more personally than others I've known my whole life..."

"Well, your subconscious _did_ meet, which is probably the strongest contact you can make. An exchange like that is bound to happen." She turned his chin back her way. "But you, you allowed that to happen. You were ultimately the key that unlocked his powers. You should feel honored."

"Oh, I do. ...I do."

"_And_... to be honest, I didn't think you'd be able to handle it, but boy, did you prove me wrong. You stared straight into Ona's eyes and said no. You even delivered that final shot you were all worked up about. And now..." She beamed. "You are curse-free, and dragons have one less threat. Hats off to you, Pit."

The angel blushed modestly, taking her hands. "Oh, but I... it never would've happened without your help, or any of the others... so..." He sniffed and encircled his arms around her. "Th-thank you... so much..."

"...hehe, of course." She smiled, returned the hug casually, and ruffled his chocolate locks, to which he giggled and beamed like a little kid. He looked up and gave her a proud, happy smile, eyes gleaming brightly with no traces of fear behind them any longer. Ryka couldn't help but notice that.

"So... what was that deadline you had mentioned?"

Pit blinked. He had forgotten all about that. "...uh..."

A rustle high up in the trees brought every dragon snout upwards at an angle directed on one spot. A few thumps and grunts of pain followed, and the immediate assumption that an outsider had invaded the Grotto sent the amphitheres into a panic, and they all slithered or leaped back into the trees in bestial fear.

"Huh?" Marth grew confused as the crowd that had surrounded him dispersed and disappeared. He cautiously moved over to Link and Topwing, both their eyes pointing past where Pit and Ryka were standing and at the spot of interest. "What's going on?"

"Shh!" Link shushed him sharply, motioning Topwing into some brush cover for his own personal safety and tugging Marth in with them. "Betcha I can guess who it is, but can't be too careful."

A small hole of light opened up as a figure was bouncing from branch to branch clumsily, popping through clumps of leaves, like tearing through multiple screen doors. Finally, a familiar angel broke into the Grotto, leaves and petals curling in his wake. He looked down at the river below, and let out a scream of terror.

As Pit watched him plummet past, he didn't give it a second thought before he leaped off the bridge and dove from him, honestly hoping to save him. With proper timing, he caught the other angel inches away from the rushing river, his swift movement upward cutting a line in the water. As he flapped back up, he glanced back at his rival's wide eyes of terror. Pit doubted he even realized who had just saved his life.

He landed on the same bridge he was standing on moments ago, laying the angel down to give himself time to recuperate. At last, he looked up to face Pit's unreadable stare, responding with a nasty scowl.

"**_YOU!_**" The hot exchange was interrupted as Ryka grabbed the new angel's collar and hoisted him up to meet her fiery gaze. "Explain yourself! How'd you find this place?" she demanded fiercely.

"Wha... _Unhand_ me, you wretched woman!" He slapped her hands away, returning her leer. "I was simply given the location of where the battle took place!"

"How do you know that? Spill it!"

"**_Stop it, both of you!_**" Pit got between them and held the two hotheads back. "If you'd quit yelling at each other, I could explain!"

Realizing her behavior, Ryka submitted, relaxing her scowl. The angel did the same more reluctantly.

Pit faced Ryka first. "Ryka, this is 2nd Commander Gen..."

"_1st_ Commander," Gen cut in, to which Pit shot him a glare, and surprisingly, he backed down. Somehow those eyes had grown ten times as intimidating as before.

"**_2nd_** Commander Gen... the one who banished me from Sky Kingdom. He also gave us the deadline, and if we met it, he'd remove the banishment from the records." Gen sneered at this.

Link, Marth, and the dragons watched this with interest, becoming the audience of the conflict.

"Okay, but that doesn't explain how he knew what was going on or where you guys were," Ryka muttered.

Pit smiled slyly at this, turning on his heel to give the same smirk to Gen, who twitched in response. "Well, that's simple. If he knew about the battle, it means he saw it through Medium Trace's image projections. And that also means _everyone_ in Angel Land saw it because she projects her images throughout the whole city. Isn't that right, 2nd Commander?"

"S-so what if we did?" Gen growled. "What does that prove?"

Pit raised a brow in silent answer, and Gen flinched. Attempting to save face, he blurted, "W-where is the half-dragon I made the pact with?"

"He's currently unavailable, as you should know," Ryka replied, mimicking Pit's tone of cynicism. "I'll serve as his temporary replacement."

But Pit raised an arm to hold her back. "Thanks, Ryka, but that's not necessary. I'll handle it myself."

The audience leaned closer with intrigue, poking their faces out of the branches. To Link and Marth, this was better than cable TV.

"Ah... right, sorry." Understanding, Ryka backed off. "Go right on ahead."

"Thank you." He turned back to Gen, who was becoming unnerved at both the staring yellow eyes around him and at Pit's suddenly cool yet powerful demeanor. "Regardless of who agreed to your demands, the deal was between you and all four of us. We've held up our side, and now it's your turn. And if you don't... Her Grace will know."

Gen glared wickedly at this. "It's only because she _favors_ you, holds you in such high rank...!"

"That's got nothing to do with it! She doesn't 'favor' anyone!" Pit paused to cool down, but his soft voice remained angry. "She simply gave me comfort when other wouldn't. Others like _you_."

An "ooh" vibrated through the Grotto, which made Gen shiver. It sounded like even the angel back home were disapproving of his actions.

"Ahem, r-right." Gen had become more self-conscious of his next words, as if the Gods themselves were watching him and were one remark away from having his wings. "A-ahh, um, alright..." He fumbled through his toga and shakily produced a scroll, reading from it uneasily. "I-I. 1st com... uh, 2nd Commander G-Gen of the Goddess Palutena's Royal G-Guard, grant the 1st Commander his p-position and reentry to the Sky Kingdom b-by retracting his decommission and b-b-banishment, as the Gods are witnesses to this p-p-proclamation."

He handed Pit the scroll and an inked quill shakily. Pit read other the lengthy declaration smartly, and when he was sure of what he was agreeing to, he sighed his name at the bottom in curvy elegant letters, handing it back. "Okay. I'll meet you up there later."

Gen stuffed it away, that statement flaring his pride. "Hmmp, so you can say farewell to the half-blooded freaks?"

Pit had remained relatively patient whenever he found himself around Gen, even when the proud angel spouted the most insensitive remarks, but _that_ statement he could _not_ stand for. Without warning, Pit clenched a fist and slugged Gen across the face, knocking his helmet clean off to reveal his shiny bald head as he fell over. He whimpered at his bruised jaw, his exposed top, and his beloved helmet as it landed on a lower branch. He watched as Topwing grinned, scooting his snout underneath until it was readjusted to fit his head. Him, Link, and Marth laughed at his ridiculous appearance, to which Gen pouted.

But when he looked up into Pit's furious blue eyes, he realized that his humiliation was the least of problems.

"Shut up! Just shut up, you jerk!" Pit bellowed with raw emotion. "You **_ignorant jerk!_** Those 'freaks' helped me! They risked their lives to help _me_! Because they _cared!_ They, and the real dragons, are in _no_ way as wicked or monstrous as you _say_ they are!" He grasped a terrified Gen's collar. "I don't wanna hear **_anymore_** insults or **_any_** derogatory things about dragons, from you or any other angel, ever again! Am I making myself absolutely clear?"

Gen blanched. "...C... Crystal."

A tense silence passed. Then a "Woo! Go Pit!" echoed from the mouth of an enthusiastic elf until the cobalt shushed him.

Pit stared at Gen for a moment longer, then delivered another punch as he released his collar, giving his clean cheek a good bruise to match the other.

"Agh!" Gen squealed. "What in Her Goddess' name was _that_ for?"

Pit's eyes narrowed. "For being an all-around jerk."

More silence, than a "W00t, Pit, you are teh roxors!" followed by a "Link, shut up!"

"Now tell Palutena I'll be up there later."

"Don't you _dare_ speak her name so casually!" Gen shot, but his momentum faded when the Grotto growled in urgency. "Er... I-I mean, o-of course!... ehe..."

For the sake of his own skin, he didn't bother to fetch his helmet and flew straight up through the hole he had created. His grunts of frustration as he swept through the layers of leaves echoed until he broke through the canopy.

Pit stared at the hole, wearing the most satisfied smirk that ever did grace his face.

The Grotto lit up with the same satisfaction and laughter as Ryka clapped his back in approval. Link, Marth, and a decorated Topwing climbed to their level to give him their own congrats.

"Dude, that was _awesome!_" Topwing exclaimed, nudging Pit with his huge snout.

"Way to show that creep up!"

"Didya hear me, didya hear me? I was totally cheering you on!"

"...mm. Yep," said another wispy voice, barely able to be heard among all the excitement, and they turned to a tired smile. "_That_ was awesome. Way t' tell 'em off."

"Roy...!" Ryka hurried over and knelt before him is a disapproving frown. "What're you doing? You should be sleeping!"

The smile remained as he turned his crooked head to the other side and took a tired breath. "...I couldn't very well much miss rubbin' it in Gen's face... or sayin' bye t' you."

"Aw, Roy..." She raised a hand to his cheek, running her fingers through his auburn hair. "...That was an amazing display. I'm so proud of you..."

Roy's grin grew by just a bit. "Only 'cause I learned from th' best."

Ryka mirrored his smile, and simultaneously they slid their eyes closed as she pressed her lips against his. And there they shared the most tender, most soft kiss, between her and the physically exhausted but emotionally on fire mamkute.

Eventually, they parted quite slowly, and Ryka faced the half-lidded eyes of the most happy yet most tired person she ever did see. "Get your rest, Roy...okay?"

Roy mumbled a sound of consent, and those eyes shut instantly, welcoming sleep.

Ryka waited a humble moment before standing and facing the others. "Okay, Topwing, take 'em home."

"Yes, _please_," Marth agreed. It was a great adventure, but now all he wanted was to return to his nice warm bed back at the SSB Mansion and _relax_ for a while.

"Aww..." Link was more reluctant for obvious reasons. "...Could we come back some other time?"

"Of course!"

"Woo-hoo!" He jumped for joy, losing his balance and almost tumbling over the bridge for about the hundred-millionth time, had it not been for Pit catching him by the wrist.

"I think you've had enough of that for one day," the brunette grinned.

"Nuh-uh!" Link joked, only to get pushed towards Topwing, laughing.

The dragon was less amused as Ryka lifted up an unconscious Roy onto the base of his neck. "Aw, I'll have to carry _all_ of them back?"

"Oh, not me," Pit replied. "I can make it by myself."

Topwing eyed him knowingly. "Oh, really?"

Pit nodded with the utmost confidence.

----------

And so two pairs of wings graced the skies above that evening, one small and feathery and one great and leathery. The feathered one kept to his word, and it saved the other the trouble.

----------

It seemed in his bizarre inner frame of time that not much of it had passed before Roy felt the familiar sensations of awakening. When he had strength to do so, he lifted his eyelids tiredly, as if he hadn't opened them in years.

Without letting many thoughts like that bother his sleep-muddled head, Roy heaved himself up, recognizing his surroundings as his dorm back at the Mansion, and his location as his good old bed, sheets folded at the foot of it by the cleaning maids and not needed. He gave himself time to register this as he scratched his head.

Smacking his lips, he realized he was thirsty. Glancing to his left, where his side table always was, he indeed found a glass of water, sitting beside a plastic-wrapped sub sandwich. His lethargic hands took the cup and brought it to his lips, and he downed the whole glass in just a few gulps, sighing in content. Putting it back, he noticed a note sitting by the sandwich, taking it and reading it.

_If you're reading this, Roy, welcome back to the waking world! Took you long enough, sleepyhead:)_

_Link and Marth_

Roy could only chuckle softly at his friends' usual sense of humor. He cast it aside, eyeing the sandwich to see if it was still fresh, when he felt movement on the bedside and heard a quiet sigh. He looked to his right and smiled warmly as he saw Pit settled on a bedside chair and leaned over the side, sleeping peacefully with his head settled in his folded arms and his wings curved around him as a sort of built-in blanket. It was quite obvious why he was there, and Roy couldn't help but feel warm in the heart for it.

"Pit... Piiiiiiiiiiiit..." he cooed, shakily him slightly. "Wake up, Sleeping Beauty."

The slumbering angel moaned ever so softly, his wings twitching and flittering like an awakening bird's. Stirring from his sleep, Pit yawned and stretched adorably, peeking his eyes open and glancing up at Roy quizzically.

"Unh...?" He let it register for a second. "...well, it's about time."

"How long?"

"Four days."

"Mmm. Not bad, I s'ppose."

Pit noticed how Roy hadn't touched the sandwich yet. "It's fresh, y'know. They made one on the second day and taught me how to make it, so when you didn't wake up, I ate it and made another."

Roy nodded, realizing his hunger and unwrapping the sandwich. It was a little sloppy with inexperience, but still nice and warm and delicious as he crunched into it. He gave out his approving grunt, to which Pit grinned happily.

"So..." Roy spoke with full cheeks, swallowed, and sucked the dribbled sauce off his fingers. "How're things going?"

"Hmm? Oh, fine... Mario says congrats for a job well done... the Foyer's repairs are almost finished... Link and Marth- well, mostly Link- spread around the whole story to the other Smashers, so, yeah..."

Roy smiled. "How're _you_?"

"Me? Well..." The angel grew reflective. "...Well... I'm more than fine. I had a lot of battles, all without draining all my strength or energy... It's amazing. I feel like a new angel."

"Good. I'm glad." Roy laid back, shutting his eyes serenely. "...and I'm sorry too."

Pit blinked. "Sorry? For what?"

Roy opened them again, looking his way. "...Sorry that you had to have the blood under your circumstances. That it's a blessing for us when it was a curse for you."

Pit frowned. "Well... technically it wasn't the same blood as yours... But... your powers are amazing... if I had another chance, I would've liked to have that blood."

"Mmm." Roy stared at the ceiling for a bit, then glanced back. "... You know, just 'cause your blood was purged doesn't mean it's gone. When you go half-dragon, it's hard to go back."

"I know." The brunette grinned and growled, "_I can still remember things pretty well._"

Roy laughed knowingly, impressed.

Pit's smile faded as he grew retrospective again. "...Lately I've had the time to really look into myself... and..." His hand glided over his chest. "...I found things in there that weren't there before... knowledge that must've been given to me by your subconscious."

Roy smirked. "Guess that saves me the trouble of teaching you everything." He paused. "...oh, wait... how long are you staying? I mean, you can go back to your home now, so..."

Pit's face lit up in realization. "Oh, yeah!" He stood, clutching Roy's wrist. "Can you get up alright?"

"...uh... I _think_ so... why?"

"I want you to meet someone!" The angel beamed.

Roy blinked, dumbfoundedly looking at the sandwich in his other hand. "But... I'm kinda... not done yet."

"Eat it on the way!" Pit urged. "Come on, she's met everyone except you!"

Unable to pull away, Roy stuffed in a few bites as they hurried down the hallways, though Pit was relatively patient as the half-dragon moved awkwardly after four days of perpetual sleep.

Just as he finished his meal, they climbed up to the roof, Roy flinching and shielding his eyes when met with the bright cheerful sun above. Pit brought him up top, clutching his bow in giddy anticipation.

"So..." Roy yawned, the pre-summer humidity making him sleepy. "Who am I meeting, exactly?"

"You'll see!" Pit beamed, drawing back his bowstring of light and releasing an arrow into the heavens, sailing into the clouds and flashing like a beacon. They waited for a moment, and then another signal twinkled like a star in response, growing in size.

Pit was bouncing up and down. "Here she comes!"

Roy jumped in surprise as a beam of light shot from the star and landed before him with a magical burst. When the light faded, he gaped at the tall woman standing in front of him. Her thin, lovely frame was varied shades of turquoise, like a statue, her robes loosely wrapped around her flawless, godly figure and her long hair curling at her perfect ankles. Her aura was so pure and strong and maternal that Roy felt the urge to hug her like a loving son, had he not fell to his knees in sheer awe and reverence. Her presence seemed to demand no less respect, even as her _beautiful_ face was soft and kind and loving. Her eyes opened, ivory orbs as clear as purified crystal glass, and at the humble half-dragon before her, she smiled a warmhearted smile she had given to many and was known for.

"Ah, Roy," she spoke in a voice as smooth as warm milk. "At last we meet. I almost feared you'd never awaken."

Roy coughed and made similar noises of nervousness, but it all stopped when she took his hand and helped him to his feet. He stopped short, staring at her enchantedly.

"Roy... this is Palutena," Pit introduced with a big grin.

"...s'pleasure," Roy croaked.

Palutena beamed lightly. "It's my pleasure as well. I've been watching little Pit ever since he was sent to the earth, lost and alone. Some gave him kindness, and he received a home in your Mansion. But you, Roy... you have done more. _You_ offered to solve his dilemma, to take action and do something about it. You are the one who saved him from his fate."

"A-a-ah..." Roy blushed madly. "B-but I... it wasn't me _alone_..."

"I'm aware of that," Palutena replied patiently. "I met with all the others involved while you were in slumber." She giggled softly. "They all had... similar reactions as yours."

Roy churned in his shoes bashfully, something he rarely did, as he looked away shyly. He internally cursed to himself, as he was never caught being modest around anyone else. When she put her hand on his shoulder, he creaked his way back to her.

"You didn't do it alone, this is true. But you were in the center of all the effort. You were the first to offer aid, and the others followed behind you because they trusted you." She brought Pit into her other arm, bringing him forward. He smiled up at her like a son to his mother. "Even Pit, with his hope near-extinguished, believed in you. Your strong will not only gave him support, but also rekindled the confidence and courage he had lost one year ago. And for that, I grant you the most sincere gratitude."

"...ah... Well, ahh..." Roy cleared his throat. "Ahem, uh, you're welcome!" He grinned stupidly.

She only smiled knowingly. "Also, you must know... after witnessing all your efforts, my people are beginning to see the error in their previous judgments. That was one of your goals as a half-dragon, was it not?"

_How did she know?_ he instantly wondered. _Oh. She's a goddess. Duh._ "Uh, yeah... that's... one of my goals."

"Well, reaching diplomacy between angels and dragons is not far off. I thought you would like to know that."

"Gee, thanks," he rushed out with embarrassed sincerity. "Ah, but... it'll take a lot more to get humans to do the same..." He chuckled mirthlessly. "...Kinda ironic how I'm a half-human myself... heh..."

"That does not matter," she countered immediately but still softly, shaking her head. "I believe in your power, Roy. Strong enough to defeat a demon... yet gentle enough to touch the heart of an angel. I believe your goal is much closer to you than you think."

Those words touched him deeply, and he gave her an honest smile. "Thank you... for your concern."

"Of course." She straightened up, apparently finished with what she had to say to Roy, and turned elegantly to face Pit, who was twirling an idle strand of his toga apprehensively.

He looked up at her with his big blue eyes and timidly asked, "...Are you sure it's okay if I stay...?"

"Oh, of course it is," she assured, kneeling to meet his small figure. "Your home will be waiting whenever you wish to return, just know that."

"I will."

"My, you've grown so much..." she breathed admiredly, caressing his round cheek. "Going off to explore the world... I remember when you were just born, too timid to leave the confides of the palace... Waddling through the halls, following the guards everywhere and fluttering your fluffy little baby wings in such excitement..."

"Palutena..." Pit whined, his cheek tinted in embarrassment.

"Ah, my apologies. I'm becoming more and more sentimental nowadays." Pulling herself out of retrospect, she took the frame of his youthful face with both hands. "...You've become so strong, Pitatinneil. May that strength carry you on."

Pit beamed ear to ear and wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace. She replied with the same, giving a small kiss to his forehead affectionately before a soft glow of light enveloped her figure and took her back to the heavens where she belonged.

Sighing in content, Pit leaned on the roof's barrier and gazed fondly at the clouds. Silent, Roy moved forwards and joined him, mimicking the angel with his chin propped in the palm of his hand. No words were said for some time. Roy's question from before had been answered, and no discussion was needed for it. But now there was something he was just dying to ask once it transferred through.

"...Pitatinneil?"

Pit gave him an odd look before he understood the question. "Oh... my full name."

"So, Pit's short for Pitatinneil, is that it?"

"Yeah... Actually, only Palutena calls me that anymore..."

"Want us to start calling you that?"

"I'd rather you not." He paused before realizing the need for reasoning. "It sounds too... exalted. I mean, we're all friends, right? Link, Marth, Roy, and Pit... nice and simple." He blanched as he glanced Roy's way. "Uh... that is, if you'll let me stay in the group..."

Roy gave it mock thought, tapping his chin. "Mmm, well... I _suppose_ there's room in LMR for P in there somewhere... Let's see, LMPR... PLMR..."

"...LMRP?" Pit ventured.

"Yeah, that'll do! S'got a nice ring to it." He held out his hand. "We'd be happy to have you, really."

Pit didn't hesitate to grasp that hand firmly. With the string handshake, the bond was sealed. To express his joy, the angel pulled the handshake in and turned it into a tight hug, which surprised the mamkute at first, until he eased into the friendly gesture and willingly returned it.

The mood then changed when Roy quietly giggled to himself. "...what?" Pit questioned.

"...fluffy little baby wings..."

"Shut up!" He laughed, throwing a powerless punch that missed as Roy had dodged, leaping onto the barrier with his wings formed.

"Come and get me, then, Baby-Wings!" He then took a diving flight. Pit only smirked and followed suit, and the two laughed merrily as they soared upon the wind's breath in a playful chase.

_Dear Ryka,_

_Sorry for the delay, took me four days to awaken. Amongst all the excitement, I completely forgot to thank you for your help and support. Pit told me he feels like a brand new angel, but it would have not been possible without you or any one of us._

Pit curved aerodynamically, gaining on his prey. The forests didn't even slow him down.

_He is staying with us for as long as he can, saying that he wants the pleasure to know us better and explore the world of us ground-dwellers. He has good timing, because come the summertime, when the SSB battles end, my group and I plan to leave the Mansion and travel around to search for dragons in need. I have already contacted the Secret and Ancient Society of Dragonologists in England, so at the very least we shall be in Europe this summer. Once I tell him, I am sure he will simply explode with excitement._

They broke into the clearing, circling in a spiral like a pair of butterflies. At last, Pit tackled Roy into the grass, tumbling on in wild abandon.

_I myself am growing excited as well. Once we depart, there will be so much good we can do, help we can give... we may even be able to find another place like the Grotto. The possibilities are endless. I cannot wait._

At the end of their tumble, they collapsed upon their backs, watching the clouds go by dreamily.

_But the most fun for me will be working and traveling with my good friends. I suppose you were right before- I could not imagine doing it all alone._

Soon, the sky grew a dusky orange, and Roy looked at Pit to find him dozed off comfortably beside him, tuckered out after a busy day. Roy smiled, got to his feet, and took the angel into his arms, who sighed and curled up closer, and the half-dragon carried him back to the Mansion for his rest.

_Thanks again. If you are ever returning to Europe this summer, look for us. Until then, may the winds continue to blow good fortune your way._

_Love, Roy_

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**THE END**

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A/N: OMFG, IT'S THE END, PEOPLE!

Link: W00t! (happy dance)

Roy: Aww...

Don't worry! We'll be returning for a kickbutt sequel!

Roy: Hooray!

Eliwood: THAT'S JUST _GRAND!_ T.T

Roy: Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad...

Eliwood: Blargh...

Be sure to watch out for it! Until then, review!


End file.
